Far-right Populism – the Political Controversies

The article traces the genesis of the Bulgarian populist radical right (PRR) after 1989. I highlight the interrelations between the stages in the development of the „ethnic model” and the PRR. I examine the electoral dynamics and the leading messages of the party family. The article demonstrates the effects of both the competition and interaction between these formations, on the one hand, and the parties of ‘moderate conservatism’, on the other. Trends in social distances are taken into account when considering the chances of success of ethnic entrepreneurs. On the basis of the analysis, I make a forecast for the future political behaviour of the PRR.

Although populist parties and movements have increased their electoral influ- ence for many years, the economic crises in the Eurozone, as well as the re- cent refugee crisis, have given new impetus to this trend. Both Eurosceptic and anti-elitist discourse, well reflecting broad public attitudes and opinions, fuels populist parties and movements that are becoming increasingly visible in the political arena of the Member-states and at the European level. The aim of this text is to analyze anti-elitism as one of the main characteristics of populism in the context of the mutually reinforcing crises in the EU.

The article presents a corpus analytical examination of political speeches by two leaders known to have voiced populist theses – USA’s newly elected President, Donald Trump and the leader of a nationalist political party in Bulgaria, Krassimir Karakachanov, and one presidential candidate who has not been verifiably ac- cused of such tendencies. The study juxtaposes the key words in their speeches to a list of populist themes derived from theoretical sources for this research. Conclusions are drawn concerning the specific types of populist discourses and the viability of the methodology.

Analysis of the ideological and political symmetries between the period 1924 – 1933 and the first decade of 21st century in Bulgaria. The article describes the youth segment in the far-right movements Kubrat, National Protection, Panbulgarian union „Father Paisij“, UBNL and the Union of Fighters for Development of the Bulgarian, „Defender“. Additionally, the article clarifies the youth profile of fascist and national-socialist ideas and practices.In the contemporary post-communist context there is a consolidation of neo-Nazi youth movements represented by skinheads such as: Bulgarian National Union, „Guardian“, Lukov march, Spisarevski march, the adolescent wing of VMRO. Public actions of members of the above mentioned movements are directed against religious and ethnical minorities; moreover, they are characterized with high level of intolerance, xenophobia and racism.

The paper examines the different basic manifestations of the new populism through the prism of the new realities created by accelerated social change, the mixing of opposing ideological trends and the clashes of radical political ideas and practices. We explore the extreme manifestations of political populism, coupled with irrational utopianism and radical fundamentalism. On the one hand, we have the left-liberal idea of the unlimited development of democracy, of disproportionate tolerance, of achieving equality beyond the law in the name of complete social justice. On the other hand, we have the right-populist answer with the radical language of the hurt traditional culture of primitive everyday life. The classic tyranny of the majority is replaced by the tyranny of constructed political minorities, and their diktat is opposed by the more authoritarian „direct democracy” of the majority of „the people.“ The repressive correctness of populism is a metaphor for the mixing of meanings that practically manifest themselves as their complete opposite. The „political correctness” created in the name of non-violence and culture has degenerated into a political repression of all those who do not think in the paradigm of left-wing ideology. But the answer of the primitive everyday life is the radical national populism combined with far-right anti-liberal and anti-democratic rhetoric.