The adaptation of the extreme right''s discourse

Abstract

The Vlaams Blok is one of the most successful of the extreme right-wing parties in Europe. The growth of the party was partly due to its populist rhetoric on race and security, and its anti-establishment rhetoric. Indeed, over the years, the party has prioritized the immigration issue, which has yielded electoral rewards, and sidelined the Flemish question. Further, the Vlaams Blok has filtered, softened and rewritten strongly-worded ideological texts in order to broaden its electoral appeal, and consolidate its gains. The recent transformation of the Vlaams Blok into Vlaams Belang may be seen as a further step in the party’s attempt to become a right-conservative people’s party. It is another indication of an attempt to get away from the party’s image as being on the extreme of the right wing and the historical legacy of collaboration, and radical Flemish nationalism. However, the moderation of the Vlaams Blok’s language over the years is not only the result of electoral strategy. While enjoying steady growing electoral support, the party has remained isolated on the Belgian political scene. The traditional parties reacted to the extreme right’s success with a total exclusion of the party. This situation led far-right leaders to modify their strategies, positions and rhetoric, and to try to demonstrate that the Vlaams Blok is capable of assuming power responsibly. Similar trends in the moderation and adaptation of the party’s rhetoric can be seen in other successful extreme right-wing parties. In France, the Front National (FN) has of late presented itself as a party of good governance. In Austria, the Freiheitliche Partei Osterreichs (FPO) significantly moderated its program and, as a consequence, dovetailed with the mainstream of Austrian politics in 1999. Ascension to government forced the party to review further its themes, tone and style. And in Italy, the Alleanza Nazionale (AN) developed a program in line with those of moderate European right-wing parties after it entered Berlusconi’s 1994 government.