‘Fishhook populism’? From the liberal centre to the far right and back again

Abstract

ABSTRACT This provocation engages with the often-overlooked role of centrism in the mainstreaming of the far-right, and how they are bridged by the populist right. There are three key mechanisms through which this takes place. First, centrism provides an institutional platform through resonances within and beyond the liberal state; second, it creates discursive space through civic values; and third, it provides ideological opportunities through a realpolitik of ‘rationality’ and ‘balance’. Attention to fascist-enabling practices of the centre, I argue, also highlights how civic values of care can be mobilised by right-populist tendencies through liberal institutions such as civil society and charity.