Erik Piccoli

Abstract: Illiberal politicians have cemented themselves as a mainstay in American and European politics. However, while much of the literature focuses on individual politicians and their impacts on domestic politics, less attention is directed toward the trans-Atlantic dimension of this phenomenon. This article seeks to answer whether an illiberal trans-Atlantic network exists and if it facilitates ideological co-exposure. By employing a social network analysis of the events and actors that populate the network, this paper finds that it is fragmented and compartmentalized, with minimal overlap among the speakers. Still, the article uncovers a clear American bent, indicating how the trans-Atlantic illiberal network facilitates cross-national narrative and ideological exposure with a unidirectional orientation that favors perspectives from the United States.

Abstract: Scholars widely agree that the Populist Radical Right (PRR) "owns" the immigration issue, but not enough is known regarding how this ownership is created and maintained. Previous studies analyzed the frequency with which parties emphasize immigration in their discourse, but often neglect the content of such discourse and typically focus on party manifestos issued during election periods, precluding deeper understanding of how PRR parties maintain their ownership of immigration between elections. To address these gaps, this study examines the frequency and framing of immigration discourse from three PRR parties whose ownership of the issue is undisputed: National Rally, Brothers of Italy, and Vox.

Abstract: Following Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, ideologue Aleksander Dugin has witnessed a resurgence in popularity. Leveraging his status, Dugin has increased his transnational network in the West comprised of multiple radical actors and organizations ranging from the European New Right to so-called MAGA Communists. Building off the literature on strategic narratives and transnational activism, Dugin is framed as a transnational narrative broker and legitimizer serving as an intermediary between the Kremlin and sympathetic groups abroad while legitimizing these organizations through his interaction with them. Furthermore, the article demonstrates that Dugin's appeal today is rooted more in his geopolitical doctrine than his esoteric philosophy, positioning him as a symbolic figurehead in the ideological struggle against liberalism for both far right and illiberal leftist groups.

Abstract: An undeniable feature of the contemporary illiberal right is its capacity to foster global interaction and collaboration. By leveraging new technologies to share information, hosting conferences, and publishing texts, illiberal actors engage in various transnational forms of collective action. These actions include not only the co-construction of frames to present shared issues through a unified lens or to identify a shared enemy, but also more practical initiatives such as the creation of transnational organizations — with the European far-right Identitarian movement serving as a prime example.