A Conversation with Cas Mudde Leading international expert on political extremism and far-right politics: Understanding the far-right in Europe. Do far-right parties have a common denominator?

Speaker
Cas Mudde is a Dutch political scientist who currently teaches at the University of Georgia, US. He has been studying European and US political extremism and right-wing policies for over two decades. Mudde has authored numerous articles and books, including: The Ideology of the Extreme Right (2002); Racist Extremism in Central and Eastern Europe (2005); Populist Radical Right Parties in Europe (2007):  The Far Right Today (2019). He is a regular contributor to different European media.

Background
As several important election dates approach in Europe, analysts and commentators struggle to describe competing political views on the right. Many ideas previously considered far-right have meanwhile become mainstream.

Is there a definition of the far-right? Who constitutes the far-right? What is the difference between the main European parties that are described as the far-right?  Do they have common values?

Do politicians described as far-right – Marie Le Pen, Giorgia Meloni, Alice Weidl, Herbert Kickl, Matteo Salvini, Santiago Abascal, Jimmie Åkesson, to mention some of them-share a similar worldview? What is the difference between the far-right and extremist ideas? Are far-right parties populist?