Triumph of the Women?

Ed. Elisa Gutsche Triumph ——— of the ——— women? The Female Face of the Populist & Far Right in Europe Ed. Elisa Gutsche The Female Face of the Populist & Far Right in Europe 04 Contents 05 1. Preface .........................................................................................................................06 2. What are the lessons for progressive players? ..........................................10 3. Introduction .............................................................................................................. 16 4. Country Case Studies ..............................................................................................22 4.1 Germany .......................................................................................................................22 4.1.1 Policy Objectives in the Area of Women’s, Gender and Family Policy .............................25 4.1.2 Women and the AfD: From Party of Professors to Party of Protest ................................29 4.1.3 Counterstrategies: Between Realpolitik and Online Feminism .......................................33 4.1.4 Table 1: AfD and SPD voters by sex ...............................................................................38 4.1.5 Table 2: Proportion of AfD female members in state assemblies ..................................40 4.1.6 Table 3: Proportion of Women in AfD Executive Committee ..........................................42 4.1.7 Literature and Sources ..................................................................................................44 4.2 France .......................................................................................................................... 48 4.2.1 Programmatic Objectives in the Field of Women’s Rights and Gender Equality Politicy ........ 51 4.2.2 Women and Right-Wing Populist Parties .......................................................................55 4.2.3 Counter-Movements and Strategies to combat Far-right Populism in France ................64 4.2.4 Bibliography ..................................................................................................................65 4.3 Greece ...........................................................................................................................66 4.3.1 Golden Dawn’s Ideology and Political Agenda on Women ...........................................69 4.3.2 Women Participating and Supporting Golden Dawn .....................................................72 4.3.3 Countering Golden Dawn .............................................................................................76 4.3.4 References ................................................................................................................... 77 4.4 Poland ........................................................................................................................80 4.4.1 Objectives Regarding Women’s and Gender Policies .....................................................83 4.4.2 Women and Right-Wing Populist Parties .......................................................................85 4.4.3 Counter-Movements and (Successful) Strategies ...........................................................98 4.4.4 References ....................................................................................................................90 4.5 Sweden ..........................................................................................................................92 4.5.1 Women and Gender Politics ..........................................................................................95 4.5.2 Women in the party and Voting for the SD ................................................................ 100 4.5.3. Responses and counter-strategies ...............................................................................102 4.5.4 References ..................................................................................................................104 4.6 Hungary ......................................................................................................................106 4.6.1 Objectives on Women’s and Gender Politics ................................................................106 4.6.2 Women and Populist Right-Wing Parties .....................................................................114 4.6.3 Counter-Movements and Strategies ............................................................................118 4.6.4 Bibliography ................................................................................................................120 5. Authors ...................................................................................................................... 122 Contents 1 1 08 Preface Women voters were long thought to be relatively immune to the election policies advocated by right- wing populist and right-wing extremist parties. That has changed, however. In absolute terms the proportion of women voters for most of these parties is still lower than that of men, but the gap is narrowing. A number of women hold leading positions in right-wing populist parties, giving them a female face as it were, but what is the situation behind that facade? And what are the implications for gender and family policy? Should this be registered as a triumph for women, or the opposite? Many women in Germany, too, voted for right- has been paid to why women vote for the right when wing populists in the 2017 general election. Seventeen the ever since the 1970s the predominant tendency has per cent of women in eastern and eight per cent in been for them to vote left – at least in Germany. Why western Germany voted for Alternative für Deutschland has this change taken place? A question that ought to (AfD). A number of women were leading candidates preoccupy progressive parties in particular is: are the on the party list and were extremely vocal on TV talk policies they advocate (still) attractive to female voters? shows. The main subject of discussion there was ref- Or, conversely, do their policies even help to drive wom- ugees, but on many occasions the AfD showed its true en into the arms of the right-wing populists, who cap- colours, first and foremost through derogatory com- ture them with simple truths and the image of an ideal, ments about people with a migration background, but traditional family? One thing seems evident: any anal- also about other groups in society such as single moth- ysis of the causes of rampant right-wing populist ideas ers. Such comments are based on regressive ideas in Europe that focuses solely on white workers is insuf- about a traditional family and gender order that are ficiently complex and falls short of what is required. sometimes linked with calls for further curtailment of This comparative study considers the Female Face women’s reproductive rights. From a progressive and of right-wing populism in six European countries – Ger- feminist viewpoint it seems impossible that a woman many, France, Greece, Poland, Hungary and Sweden in Germany would vote AfD, and yet it happens. – focusing on the following key issues: Similar phenomena are observed in other Europe- an countries. Women are prominent in the leadership 1. Right-wing populist parties’ policy objec- of right-wing populist parties, which meet with in- tives and especially their relationship with creasing approval from women voters. In Poland, the women’s rights and gender issues. PiS (Prawo i Sprawiedliwość, Law and Justice) party On the one hand, right-wing populist parties through- even received 39.7 per cent in total from women, out Europe present themselves as defenders of women’s which is 1.2 per cent more votes than from men. Since rights, particularly when it is a question of defending being in government it has gradually restricted women’s white women from allegedly misogynistic (Muslim) im- fundamental democratic rights and civil rights. migrants. However, when it comes to the topic of do- So why do women vote for right-wing populist mestic and sexual violence committed by white perpe- parties and become involved in them? After elections trators, demands to do something about them are often in the United States and Germany, the media and po- dismissed with references to “gender madness” and litical debate focused primarily on the electoral behav- excessive state involvement. A glance at their election iour of white (in Germany’s case, mainly eastern Ger- manifestos and representatives’ statements reveals that man) workers. Countless political analyses and in most cases right-wing populist parties advocate clear- newspaper think pieces explored why people who ly anti-emancipatory positions in other areas, too. have lost out as a result of political changes or globali- Right-wing populists’ central concern is to limit sation vote for right-wing populists. Since the 2017 immigration and emphasise a distinct cultural identity general election in Germany, however, little attention as opposed to alien cultures. This is usually based on 09 a völkisch ideology that is openly acknowledged to a in the respective countries’ political spectrum? What greater or lesser degree. The aim is to preserve the are the reactions of (feminist) social movements and culturally homogenous nation. Against the back- progressive parties? Have they adopted certain posi- ground of demographic change, family policy thus tions or developed counterpositions? Are there any becomes a key area of policy. Frequent repudiation of indications

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