Belinsky Andrey Victorovich – Ph.D. in Political Sciences, Senior Researcher, INION RAS Khorolskaya Maria Vitalievna – Ph.D. in Political Sciences, Senior Researcher, IMEMO RAS
The article examines the evolution of gender politics of right-wing populists in Western Europe. It is noted that initially the extreme right-wing forces took rather conservative positions with regard to gender relations, women’s rights, etc. However, a number of painful electoral defeats and the arrival of a new generation of politicians have actually forced right-wing populist parties in the Old World to revise their programmes, including on gender issues. In an effort to win the hearts of the female half of the electorate, the «new» right-wing parties gave the green light to young female politicians, who were supposed to symbolise the renewal of the right-wing camp and at the same time attract the votes of female voters. However, the actual gender policy of right-wing populists has hardly changed significantly. While recognising formal gender equality, the «new» right-wingers gloss over or deny the problems of discrimination against women (wage inequality, domestic violence, etc.). At the same time, it should be noted that the extreme right-wing parties of the EU often use the slogans of defence of women’s rights to fight migration and political Islam. Thus, after the migrant attacks on New Year's Eve in Cologne in 2016, right-wing populist parties organised a noisy campaign in various cities against illegal migration and the policies of Chancellor A. Merkel.
right-wing populism, gender politics, women’s rights, National Association, Austrian Freedom Party, Alternative for Germany
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