By Reneva Fourie
With most of the great national liberation struggles of the 20th century concluded, with the transnational and transracial unifying logic of Marxism pushed back by neo-liberal politics and economics, with the loss of the ideological cohesion and solidarity of the great struggles of the last century, individuals and communities have sought identity, belonging and cohesion in ancient, anachronistic bonds. Muslims have become more Muslim, Jews more Jewish, Christians more Christian, Zulus more Zulu. (Barry Gilder, 2012).
The above quotation by Gilder (2012) underscores the fact that nature seldom leaves vacuums. The deliberate suppression of the hegemony of progressive voices in the public space is leading to a growth in narrow nationalism and anti-enlightenment sentiments. The trend is characterised by an excessive glorification of a national or cultural group, accompanied by polarised attitudes towards the other that border on hatred.
Countries in Europe are undergoing general elections. The outcomes of the elections to date, including the June European parliamentary elections, indicate a shift towards the Right. Most recently, in Germany, the extreme Right party, Alternative fr Deutschland, won the Thuringia State elections for the first time since World War II.
The rise in support for extremist right-wing ideologies is alarming. Right-wing political parties are gaining momentum in elections through campaigns that exploit public concerns about unemployment, poverty, hunger and immigration while inciting hatred and exclusion in the process.
