The Global Far-Right’s Assault on Democracy

SERIES KICKOFF: The Future of Democracy

We welcome back foreign policy expert John Feffer to open our new series on a timely topic of the utmost importance—the assault on democracy by the far-right. Feffer will discuss these trends using the framework of his recently-released book, Right Across the World: The Global Networking of the Far-Right and the Left Response, which examines the strategies of the far-right and how to counter them.

Despite Donald Trump’s 2020 loss, the far-right remains powerful in the United States and around the world. Far-right leaders like Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil, Narendra Modi in India, and Viktor Orban in Hungary continue to consolidate their power. Far-right parties are surging to the top of the polls in Italy, the Philippines, and Israel. Far-right organizations are spreading their ultra-conservative messages about the family and immigration across borders, while right-wing paramilitary groups are mobilizing at the grassroots to undermine political authorities. This is not part of the normal oscillation in power between liberals and conservatives. The far-right is determined to rewrite the rules of democracy to remain in power indefinitely.

Feffer serves as Director of Foreign Policy in Focus, a project of the Institute of Policy Studies. A prolific author, Feffer recently released The Pandemic Pivot, covering COVID-19’s transformation of global politics, and the novel Songlands, the third and final volume of his Splinterlands trilogy.