Far-Right Politics in Austria, Europe, and the United States

As part of the 2022 Austrian Studies Conference Far-Right Politics in Austria, Europe, and the United States: Recent Trends and Transatlantic Connections, Ambassador Wolfgang Petritsch (Austrian Marshall Plan Foundation) will be delivering the Keynote Lecture.

Against the background of the recent rise of far-right ideology, authoritarian political thinking and corresponding politics across Europe and the United States the conference sheds light on both country case studies and transnational exchange and collaboration between relevant groups and political actors.

The contributions focus on relevant developments in Austria and other European countries. Special attention is given to parallels and differences between national political contexts and trends, on the one hand, and transnational/transatlantic influences, connections and co-operations, but also differences, on the other.

Pertinent topics to be discussed comprise the rejection of pluralistic political concepts, the role of antisemitism, racism and xenophobia, hostility towards ethnic and social minorities, appeals to stereotypes and scapegoating, the striking success of conspiracy theories which have been fueled by the Covid-19 pandemic, and last but not least the significant transnational dissemination of far-right political discourse and imagery via diverse social media.