INTRODUCTION

The rise of new parties on the right in the 1980s led to a great deal of controversy over how these parties are defined. Some authors argue that these parties share essential characteristics, while others point to the unique national features and circumstances of each party. Some see them as throwbacks to the fascist era, while others see them as mixing right-wing, liberal, and populist platforms to broaden their electoral appeal. The party ideologues themselves have argued that they cannot be placed on the left-to-right spectrum. In this chapter, I analyze the nature of radical right (RR) parties in France, Germany, and Austria. I argue that they can be considered in the same category due to their nationalism and positions on issues such as immigration and the European Union. These parties are aware of each other, so it is probable that they would emulate a similar party's success by evolving similar issue positions.

All of these parties also have experienced internal factionalism, which has threatened their success. As with many other types of parties, there are those within the party who would prefer to follow a more pragmatic path that might lead to greater electoral success, while other members are unwilling to change hard-line positions or pursue coalitions with other parties that might weaken ideological purity. In each case, conflicts between pragmatists and ideologues have led to major splits within the parties.