Gürkan Özturan

Rise of Radical Right in the Balkans During Europeanization Process: Comparative Cases of Greek Laos and Bulgarian Ataka Parties Gürkan Özturan

Both in Greece and Bulgaria Radical Right Parties have gained parliamentary representation since the year 2000. Their main promises focused on the wrongdoings of their governments as they followed the steps for further Europeanization and opening up their societies in a more multicultural environment within strongly national states. Both parties use similar methods to promote their ideologies; references to the roots of their nation, irredentist claims, the oppression their nation had suffered in history, how globalization poses as a major threat, the fear that minorities and immigrants taking over the country and state. Moreover the initial steps that both parties took resemble each other; charismatic leaders from popular media organizing anti-government rallies and starting debates on how the country is being governed wrongly. Reflecting onto the nationalist populism, both LAOS and ATAKA managed to create a radical rightist space in the Greek and Bulgarian societies, eventually to win seats in parliament. Throughout 2000s, leaders of both parties gained further support via resistance against European norms and values concerning the minorities and immigrants and continue to rise.