The Rise of Alternative Politics

Abstract

Alternative political forces (such as right-wing nationalists, populists and others), until recently marginal anti-EU and euro players, have exploded onto the forefront of the political scene due to the ‘trilogy’ and widespread discontent with perceived loss of sovereignty and identity. The more people think traditional political forces are ideologically biased in favour of globalization, the European project, minorities and immigration; the more they see mainstream media and the authorities manipulating information; the more they mistrust traditional power structures and lament the lack of solutions they offer, the more they will look for solutions in non-traditional power structures. In this chapter, the author examines the swift and recent rise of alternative political forces, their strengths and weaknesses and their impact on Europe and its future.