The concept of fascism has been extensively debated in recent years, particularly regarding whether we are now witnessing fascist characteristics in countries previously considered liberal democracies. In the US, there is a clear authoritarian shift under Trump, where the executive branch is strengthened at the expense of societal areas previously held to be free and independent. Media and universities are attacked with demands for obedience, the state bureaucracy is also under pressure, and even the courts and Congress have been challenged repeatedly by the President. In Europe, nationalist and socially conservative right-wing parties are growing in several countries, with Brothers of Italy, the French National Front, AfD in Germany, and the Sweden Democrats being prominent examples.
With a program focusing on fascism, we do not intend to claim that the parties mentioned above are fascist, nor to pass a final judgment on our current era. We aim to achieve two things with this program: 1) to show how fascism has actually manifested itself in Western countries in the past. 2) to specifically examine some of the traits we observe in several countries moving in a more authoritarian direction—traits that can be reminiscent of central characteristics of fascism. These include conformity, the idolization of strong leaders, the demonization and amplification of external and internal enemies, the deliberate use of lies and propaganda, the degradation of civil society, and the undermining of free media.
