Introduction

Abstract

This chapter first outlines the two contexts that made the interest in militant democracy surge: ‘terrorism and state overreaction’ and, more recently, ‘illiberal democracy’. The former mainly concerns the way militant democracy can be utilized in combating terrorism and the risks inherent in the state’s response when it comes to human rights; the latter context came to the fore with the growth and/or the rise to power, of ‘illiberal’ parties in several democracies, such as Hungary and Poland. These illiberal parties are, as Cas Mudde has argued, not necessarily undemocratic, but illiberal; they take aim at ‘minority rights, pluralism and the rule of law’. Subsequently, through briefly examining the recent NPD-decision of the German Federal Constitutional Court, the chapter argues for further deepening the growing debate on militant democracy by adding a multidisciplinary approach. The chapter then sets out to discuss the several contributions along the lines of the three disciplines brought together in this volume: political science, law and philosophy.