Vigilantism and security: State, violence and politics in Italy and Hungary By Manuel Mireanu Submitted to Central European University Doctoral School of Political Science and International Relations In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Supervisor: Dr. Xymena Kurowska CEU eTD Collection Budapest, Hungary December, 2014 Statement I hereby declare that the thesis contains no materials accepted for other degrees in any other institutions. This thesis contains no materials previously written and/or published by another person, except where appropriate acknowledgement is made in the form of bibliographical reference. CEU eTD Collection ii Abstract This thesis explores the relationship between the state and vigilante groups in two situations from Italy and Hungary. It asks the question of the possibility of successful security articulations that emerge from actors endowed with lower levels of social capital. Vigilantism is one such possible security practice. The practices of the vigilante groups that I look at cannot be fully captured if we focus on either state-centred security, or on socially dispersed security practices. Their practices are performed by agents with lower levels of securitising capital than state elites, but with sufficient legitimacy and capabilities to enact security successfully. These practices are not dispersed through ‘society’, but they are concentrated in groups and patrols with explicit programs, hierarchies and purposes. I argue that vigilante groups can practice security autonomously from the state – even if they have the state’s ‘blessing’. I argue that vigilantism is an instance of everyday security. Vigilantism illustrates practices of security with clear goals of providing services to a target audience. Vigilantism fulfils a security demand. Vigilante groups have clearly-defined goals, which are influenced by a guiding ideology. Such programmatic security acts do not sit well with the established literature on everyday security, which diverges from a decisionistic model, and posits the non-intentionality of security practices. I diverge from this position and argue that vigilantism shows how security can be at the same time non-elitist and intentional. This thesis uses participatory methods to achieve as much proximity as possible to the actants of vigilante security practices. Analysing situations enables me to have a better negotiation of the interplay between local and daily routines and practices on the one hand, and global discourses and narratives on the other hand. For these reasons, I use the concept of security-scape, to delineate situations of security in which my analysis moves constantly between the particular and the general. The two security-scapes I focus on in this thesis are the Milan Central train station and the Hungarian village of Gyongyospata. Through these two instances of vigilantism in Europe, I illustrate non-state and intentional acts of security. Both the City Angels and the far- right patrols of Gyongyospata perform acts of security in the absence of state capacities. Both situations illustrate an ambiguous relationship with the state, in the sense that their relative autonomy coincides with a reinforcement of state practices and discourses. And both are situations of programmatic and intentional security, where the decision to act is based on the clear articulated intention to respond to a security demand. CEU eTD Collection iii Acknowledgements This thesis was written over many years, and in the loving company of many people. It is thus a collective effort, which only conventionally bears my authorship. There are legions of people that have contributed and helped me along the way. First of all, I thank my supervisor, dr. Xymena Kurowska – one cannot get any better supervision and friendship! It was great to grow so much together. The other people who have supervised parts of the process are Paul Roe, Jef Huysmans, Michael Merlingen and Alexander Astrov. Their academic advice was generous and enriching. More than this, several people have offered me so much love, support and care, that I could have never completed this project without them. These are – doctors and future doctors: Adela Micota, Maria Gkresta, Elisa Cîtea, Riina Hannula, Salome Tsopurashvili, Nargiza Arjevanidze, Natalia Buier, Dumitriţa Holdiş, Maria Morozova, Jorge Calero, Maja Pan, Andreea Nicutar, Elena Stavrevska, Raluca Csernatoni, Anna Selmeczi, Erzsebet Strausz, Ian Cook, Lasha Gogidze, Vugar Allahverdyiev, Koli and Lilla, and everybody else who took their time to listen to my bickering. We shall celebrate! Alexandra Ghiţ gave me the idea to read some newspaper articles about vigilantes back in 2009. What a great idea, Alex! This thesis is dedicated in memoriam to prof. Gabriela Colţescu – she would have enjoyed it and read it with a smile. My family in Timisoara and Bacau supported me unconditionally, although they probably never understood what exactly I was doing in Budapest these past years. I owe special recognition to people that have been helping me with translations: Peter Lorincz, Maria Gkresta, Nora Feldmar, Margherita Romagnoni and Daniel Vazsonyi. Chiara Cavallazzi hosted me in Milan when I was homeless – I will never forget her kindness. My dear political affinity group from Budapest – people who choose not to be named here, but who keep the struggle for social justice going on everywhere they are. The collectives from Cluj, London, Vienna Torino, Bucharest, and Berlin also supported me throughout these years – peace and solidarity! Finally, one more time – e-d#-e-d#-e-b-d-c-a, pt. iubita mea cu ochi scanteietori si inima puternica! CEU eTD Collection Gracias a la vida que me ha dado tanto! iv Table of contents INTRODUCTION......................................................................................................................... 1 Vigilantism – preliminary remarks ................................................................................................. 2 Context – the transformation of the state ........................................................................................ 4 Vigilantism: between state and society ........................................................................................... 8 The problems ................................................................................................................................ 10 Outline of the thesis ...................................................................................................................... 14 I. INTRODUCING VIGILANTISM AS NON-ELITIST SECURITY .................................. 16 Illustration: the Golden Dawn ....................................................................................................... 21 Security in parallel with the state .............................................................................................. 21 Security with clear stated intentions.......................................................................................... 24 The Golden Dawn as a supplier of security .............................................................................. 27 II. THE THEORETICAL AND POLITICAL STAKES OF STUDYING VIGILANTISM 30 First section: the question of vigilantism in the current debates in Critical Security Studies ...... 30 ‘Vigilantism is everyday security’ (Security beyond the state) ................................................ 31 ‘Vigilantism is intentional security practice’ ............................................................................ 43 Second Section: Intersubjectivity and intentionality .................................................................... 54 1. The common history of intersubjectivity and intentionality ................................................. 55 CEU eTD Collection 2. Self-referentiality and programmatic action ......................................................................... 62 3. Grasping intentions ............................................................................................................... 65 v Third Section: The Politicality and Criticality of studying Vigilantism ....................................... 68 1. Methodological considerations ............................................................................................. 68 2. The substantive concepts of security demand and criminalisation of poverty ...................... 85 Conclusion .................................................................................................................................. 102 III. THE HUNGARIAN PATROLS IN GYÖNGYÖSPATA ............................................... 103 Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 103 1.1. Short history of far-right and paramilitary groups in Hungary ............................................ 106 1.2. The Far-Right in Hungary since 2006 ................................................................................. 109 1.3. The newly intensified far-right in 2011 ............................................................................... 117 2.1. The events of Gyöngyöspata ................................................................................................ 120 ‘…a milestone in Hungary’s post-1989 history’ ..................................................................... 120 2.2. Territory and security ..........................................................................................................