Intersections. East European Journal of Society and Politics

Mobilization of radical right movements in Central and Eastern Europe between 2008 and 2016

Manuela Caiani, Daniel Płatek, Grzegorz Piotrowski — Thu, 01 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0200

The radical right is on the rise all over Europe and beyond, either in terms of electoral success or activities outside the institutional arena, especially after the 2015 refugee crisis. Central and Eastern European countries are no exception, although not yet closely studied for radical right social movements and protest. In this article we investigate the degree and characteristics of the mobilisation of different types of radical right organisations (political parties and social movements alike) in Central and Eastern Europe to capture a broader picture of the current developments in radical right politics beyond elections and electoral campaign periods. By focusing on four countries (Czechia, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia), and combining qualitative and quantitative data derived from a protest event analysis reported in newspaper articles between 2008 and 2016 (for a total of 1587 events coded), we analyse the radical right mobilisation (i.e. intensity and degree of radicalism), linking it to the political opportunities and the organisational features of the groups mobilising. We argue that the radical right is using a very broad repertoire of action, beyond violence and the electoral arena, including expressive and symbolic strategies, as well as the use of new technologies like the Internet. We also stress that for the radical right, as for the left-wing social movements, the analytical framework of political opportunities and a resource mobilisation approach can help in explaining their mobilisation.

The Czech Parliamentary Radical Right and the West

Adrien Beauduin — Thu, 01 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0200

The present article explores the dynamics behind Czech radical-right leader Tomio Okamura and his Freedom and Direct Democracy (SPD) party’s frequent criticism of the West. It argues that their attacks on the West should be seen as not only a critique of liberal democracy but also a denunciation of the post-socialist socio-economic and political order in Central and Eastern Europe. The transition from socialism to liberal democracy in this region has closely tied the concept of liberal democracy to ‘the Western model’, turning discussions about the West into debates about the post-1989 transition. Using a qualitative analysis of social media communication and drawing on the insights of critical discourse analysis, the article shows how Okamura and his party use their denunciation of the West to fight against both the Western liberal democratic model and the Czech post-socialist regime. By doing so, they tap into post-socialist tropes and challenge the West–East hierarchy of knowledge. The Czech case sheds light on the regional specificity of radical right movements in Central and Eastern Europe and how their anti-Western, anti-liberal stance is influenced by issues related to the post-1989 transition.

The voice of irregular migrants

Gholampour Faranak, Borbala Simonovits — Thu, 01 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0200

After nearly four decades of irregular movement of Iranian nationals worldwide, we have much to learn about their motivations for leaving Iran and choosing their destination countries. This paper investigates the main factors that influenced Iranian asylum seekers to leave Iran in an irregular way. Our quantitative survey was conducted online, relying on a convenience sample of Iranian asylum seekers (n=241) who filled out the survey, which was spread on social media applications. We found that the main factors pushing people to leave Iran were related to the lack of social freedom (81 per cent), economic issues (76 per cent), and the lack of job security (71 per cent). Likewise, secure economic conditions (81 per cent), social freedom (76 per cent), and the availability of job opportunities (70 per cent) were the main factors that pulled people to their destination countries. We found that participants have effectively adapted to the healthcare system, language, and weather of destination countries, and they expect to have freedom in Europe and improve the quality of life of their loved ones, including their offspring.

Memes as Satire in Romanian Political Culture

Maria Anca Sandu — Thu, 01 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0200

The aim of this paper is to define political memes as belonging to the genre of political satire and part of Romanian political culture, to outline their characteristics and functionality, and to indicate that the phenomenon of political meme-sharing is a cultural phenomenon with growing significance based on the highly affective usage of memes that allow for the recontextualization of past political events in accordance with the new realities of the Romanian political and cultural space. Using the case study that is included, which takes into account how the awareness of the political context is the basis of the memes and the features of the memes themselves, the author shows that memes can be considered a type of informal, non-conventional form of political participation and considers this in relation to the political landscape of a post-communist country, thus determining that memes are a novel element that should be considered when dealing with civic culture at large, and digital civic culture specifically.

Framing displaced persons

Utku Bozdag — Thu, 01 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0200

In recent years, social media has been recognized as instrumental in shaping the discourse around displaced persons, particularly through the power of metaphorical framing. Given that online communication can lead to real-world consequences for individuals, X (formerly known as Twitter) now stands out as a crucial platform for discussing migration issues in Turkey. However, while Twitter holds significant sway over public discourse in Turkey, there remains a research gap concerning its role in migration-related metaphorical framing. This study, employing critical metaphor analysis (CMA), delves into the metaphorical representations associated with the terms göçmen (‘migrant’), sığınmacı (‘asylum-seeker’), and mülteci (‘refugee’) in the tweets of four major Turkish media outlets: Hürriyet, Haber Türk, Sözcü, and Cumhuriyet. The findings reveal a predominant negative framing of all three terms, with göçmen and sığınmacı often equated with crime and mülteci with objectification. Also, the political inclination of the media outlets played a role, with those aligned closer to the Turkish government showcasing fewer negative frames. In conclusion, the study highlights the profound impact of media’s metaphorical framing, revealing its capacity to color public perceptions about displaced populations, a phenomenon accentuated by the specific terms chosen and the media’s political leanings.

The construction of reconciliation and social cohesion by Turkey’s Republican People’s Party

Onur Alp Yılmaz, Melek Aylin Özoflu — Thu, 01 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0200

In November 2021, Turkey’s Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader, Kılıçdaroğlu, shared a video via Twitter in which he made a call for helalleşme to Turkish society. While the repercussions of the call have been reflected differently within the political spectrum in Turkish society, this study investigates how social cohesion and reconciliation are envisaged and addressed by the main opposition party. It does this through a discursive analysis of Kılıçdaroğlu’s speeches released since his helalleşme call that builds upon theoretical discussions about reconciliation and intergroup forgiveness. Research on reconciliation and intergroup forgiveness literature associated with the Turkish case mainly revolves around the Turkish government’s or Turkish nationalists’ approach to ethnic minorities, such as the Kurdish question. However, studies investigating the stance of the main opposition party concerning the debate about fragmentation within Turkish society are very limited. Therefore, this study will aim to fill this gap. To thematically analyze the underlying messages of and motivation for the discourses, it will employ the discourse historical approach (DHA). In this way, the current study will contribute empirically to the relevant literature.

Legislation and practice of observing of human rights in Turkey in terms of European integration processes in the country

Thu, 01 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0200

The relevance of the stated topic is determined by the constant decline in the level of democracy in the Republic of Turkey over the past few years, which is characterised by the decline in the development of the fundamental rights and freedoms of its citizens. Arbitrariness in the judicial system, international law violations, antidemocratic legislation is the chosen course for deeper European integration and has every chance to remain an exclusively imaginary strategy without its external embodiment. In this regard, this work is aimed at analysing Turkish legislation in the area of human rights and determining its compliance with the principle of the rule of law. Also, the study is focused on covering the essence of the effective democratic governance, controversial political and legal decisions of the Turkish government, as well as Turkey’s political problems in its relations with the European Union.

The effectiveness of the EU’s rule of law conditionality mechanism

Veronika Czina — Thu, 01 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0200

The effectiveness of post-accession conditionality within the EU has been of pivotal importance for the EU in past years. The European Union has plenty of tools for monitoring the compliance of EU Member States; however, when it comes to enforcement mechanisms, EU institutions perform poorly. Respect for the rule of law is especially crucial in this regard, as certain Member States (i.e. Poland and Hungary) have committed violations in this area. Hungary has been subject to several infringement procedures due to failure to comply with EU law, and the Article 7 procedure has even been activated against it. In 2020, the EU decided to connect rule-of-law violations to the EU budget disbursement by introducing the rule-of-law conditionality mechanism, which was launched against Hungary in 2022. This paper evaluates this conditionality mechanism through the example of Hungary and assesses whether it is more effective than the previous tools used to address rogue Member State behaviour and prevent continuous rule-of-law violations on a national level.

Hungarian administrative processes in the digital age

Erzsébet Csatlós — Thu, 01 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0200

In a world of sustainable development where digitalisation is among the priorities of all states, the question arises how digital Hungarian public administrative procedure is. The study aims to give an overall insight into the state of affairs in Hungary in individual cases and explore the level of digitalisation by exploring statistics on the clients’ habits on the usage of the available digital public service on one hand, just to see how it appears in their everyday, and the level of automatisation in decision-making on the other, from the aspect of the authority. As a result, when assessing the extent of digital public services in Hungary, the focus tends to concentrate on levels 1-3, and possibly level 4, of digital public services according to a five-stages chart settled as a goal by the European Union in 2002 and also used as reference in the Hungarian Act on e-public administrative services. Numbers demonstrate that the utilization of digital public services, despite their availability, is not as widespread among people as it could be. Also, the study enumerates the emergence of automated decision-making by establishing categories based on the examples found in the very few normative regulations to offer a picture of the status of digitalisation of the Hungarian administrative proceedings. While complete automation is still a distant goal, rapid technological advancements and innovations are pushing the legal framework to keep up.

The Migration Turn and Eastern Europe: De-homogenising the abstract category of “migrant”

Luis Escobedo — Thu, 01 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0200

In this book review, I employ Attila Melegh's The Migration Turn and Eastern Europe to retell my own experience, ‘on the ground,’ as someone ascribed the abstract category of ‘migrant.’ I apply the ideas proposed by this book to illustrate how the ‘migration turn,’ as understood here, has restructured my life and experience, while at the same time, although only to a certain extent, de-homogenise said category.

Political Ethics in Illiberal Regimes: A Realist Interpretation

Gábor Pál — Thu, 01 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0200

Hardball politics becomes a fundamental, everyday experience for hundreds of millions of people living in illiberal regimes. The perception, insight, understanding, interpretation, treatment and coping with the ‘ethics for playing hardball’ becomes a practical challenge for political actors (elected officials, MPs, mayors, policy experts, journalists, political commentators, political advisors, civil servants, civil activists, citizens) and a theoretical challenge for political scientists living in illiberal regimes. Acknowledging the author’s ambition, we can say that Szűcs perceives, undertakes, and in his monograph carries out this scholarly task, filling an important hiatus in the Hungarian political science discourse.

The Legal Framework for Strategic Planning in contemporary Russia

Vladislav V. Grib, Alessandro Cenerelli — Thu, 01 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0200