The recording of the panel discussion titled “The Transnationalization of the Illiberal Right: Ideas, Frames, Events and Networks” organized on November 27, 2024, is now available on AUTHLIB’s YouTube channel.
The transnationalization of illiberal parties and social movements is increasingly evident in Europe. Not only do they develop transnational networks; their ideas are also spreading across borders thanks to the internet and social media platforms. Anti-immigrant and anti-gender actors, as well as actors mobilizing in relation to various crises, in particular the Covid-19 pandemic, now convene at events internationally, which supports the diffusion of frames and strategies and contributes to international learning among these actors.
While the literature on the various types of illiberal actors and their transnationalization has been growing, research so far tended to specialize in specific sub-sectors of the illiberal right engaging, for example, only with anti-immigrant or anti-gender actors, and focused on political parties or social movements. Research conducted in the framework of the AUTHLIB (Neo-authoritarianisms in Europe and the Liberal Democratic Response) project seeks to connect these various threads of analysis to understand the differences and similarities characterizing their transnational diffusion in terms of framing strategy, organizational contacts and networks, and mobilization events.
This discussion explained the mechanisms, channels and processes of the transnationalization of illiberal actors and ideas by focusing on different case studies explored in the AUTHLIB project. The speakers presented data on the online networking of illiberals, emphasizing the actors and actor types from various countries in Europe that are most engaged in transnational interactions. The common frames used by these actors on their social media platforms was also discussed. Additionally, relying on event chronologies and interview data, the speakers presented initial findings from a more focused, qualitative analysis of key transnational players such as the Polish Ordo Iuris or the Hungarian Center for Fundamental Rights, highlighting CPAC as the central hub of transnational cooperation.
Speakers:
Batuhan Eren, Research Fellow, Scuola Normale Superiore
Ivan Tranfić, Research Fellow, Scuola Normale Superiore
Discussant:
Zsolt Enyedi, Professor, Central European University
Chair:
Zsuzsanna Végh, Program Officer, The German Marshall Fund of the United States
