Guardians of Democracy? On the Response of Civil Society Organisations to Right‐Wing Extremism

Abstract

This article expands on the understanding of the role civil society organisations (CSOs) play in counteracting right‐wing extremism. Drawing on central strands in the defending democracy literature, this article introduces a typology to classify the responses of CSOs to right‐wing extremism. The typology takes into account the distinction between tolerance and intolerance on the one hand, and active and passive political participation on the other. What is more, it allows for a more fine‐tuned analysis of a variety of CSO responses vis‐à‐vis extreme right‐wing movements. This distinction is important as it allows for a better understanding of the democratic role of civil society in general and the responses of pro‐democratic civil society to political extremism in particular. Using this typology as a point of departure, the article contributes empirically by exploring how local CSOs in the Swedish town of Ludvika responded to the foremost neo‐Nazi movement in the Nordic countries, namely the Nordic Resistance Movement (NRM), prior to the 2018 Swedish election. Drawing primarily on the perspective of civil society leaders, the findings show that local CSOs are generally intolerant of the NRM and have engaged in opposition to the movement. Notably, responses tend to be more oriented towards promoting dialogue and the importance of public discussion in civil society rather than using confrontational tactics such as protests and civil disobedience. The article concludes that CSOs serve as bulwarks against right‐wing extremism at least during politically charged situations; however, differences in tolerance and political participation indicate that CSOs respond differently to right‐wing extremism.