Once considered frontier actors, far-right movements are now gaining ground within political systems around the world. Their growing presence in parliaments, coalition governments, and executive offices reflects a profound shift in the global political landscape. Fuelled by public disillusionment, economic anxiety, and cultural grievances, these movements promote a blend of nativism, authoritarian reflexes, and hostility toward globalisation, immigration, and pluralistic norms. This resurgence has also been accompanied by rising levels of Islamophobia, xenophobia, and other forms of discrimination, which are often central to far-right narratives and political strategies. Rather than challenging political systems from the outside, far right movements increasingly seek to reshape them from within, thereby redefining the boundaries of political legitimacy and institutional power.
This session will explore how far-right actors are navigating mainstream politics, infiltrating governance structures, and influencing policy agendas from within. Focus will be placed on the rhetoric, tactics, and broader conditions that have allowed this rise, along with how far-right movements are influencing policy priorities, shaping public narratives, and shifting the balance between state authority and societal norms worldwide.
Discussion Themes:
- How are far-right movements moving from the political margins into positions of institutional power, and what enables their rise in different contexts?
- What tactics are used by far-right actors to work within existing systems while undermining inclusive norms and multilateral commitments?
- How is the far right reshaping global political discourse by tapping into identity-based anxieties, anti-elite sentiment, and distrust in international frameworks?
- What options are available to political institutions, civil society, and the media to respond to the far right’s rise without further deepening polarisation or legitimising extremist narratives?