ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book argues that the concepts of movement parties and party movements provide a useful lens through which to enrich understanding of the evolution of the radical right in the UK. It suggests that the Front National’s contentious frames have achieved greater resonance in mainstream politics, media, and society as a result of the mainstreaming of the party itself, and of the radicalization of the mainstream. The book focuses on the radical right in contemporary Italy, describing its main ingredients as: subcultural identification, street mobilization, and electoral participation. It analyses the relationship between a movement party and its radical fringe in Sweden. The book examines the organizational and ideological transformation of the radical right in Hungary. It shows that the – still ongoing – consolidation of the Polish party system has created both constraints and opportunities for radical right movement parties.
