Las políticas extremistas en Europa del Este: una reacción a la transición

Abstract

Extremism in Central and Eastern Europe is associated with the transition of these countries to democracy and market economy. The emergence and resilience of radical forces should be seen primarily as a reaction to internal reforms prescribed by the dominant western international actors. Extremism as a political force in Central and Eastern Europe has been, in many cases, able to penetrate mainstream politics, and its ideological discourse has managed to infiltrate the wider social mentalities. Radical forces in the region have been capitalising on the negative aspects of transition in order to attract the widest possible support for their reactionary discourse. While there is common transitional pattern of extremism with a common ideological core in all the countries in Central and Eastern Europe, extremism is also nationally specific. The paper attempts to highlight some important differences at the national level. It finally assesses the international response to extremism with special emphasis on the role of the European Union.