Euroscepticism and the Rising Threat From the Left and Right: The Concept of Millennial Fascism

The 21st century has been host to a significant change in political and social perspective. The European Union, once held as a harbinger of hope and source of a European unity and identity, has now become a despised enemy—the source of stolen nationalism, culture, and tradition. Peripheral groups of the far right and left have now emerged as the voices of moderation, attempting to forge a path to a Europe reflective of the union they had envisioned, a Europe that at once embraces national and European identity without a loss of economic and political sovereignty. These groups are resilient, competent, rational, and above all, successful. Their methods and manner are both something old and something new, an evolved form of fascism—witnessed through a new lens: the lens of Euroscepticism. It is Millennial Fascism: the reinterpretation and new iteration of the ideology that propelled Mussolini and Hitler to infamy. Review Ramswell’s scholarly yet accessible study explores the interaction between ideological, societal, and political trends in contemporary Europe. Bringing acute insight to her examination, her thesis is provocative, and her conclusions are no less so. Scholars focused on the future of the European project should read and heed this important work. (General John Adams, Guardian Six LLC) Prebble Ramswell has done a masterful job evaluating one of Europe’s most pressing issues of the 2010s—the effects of the emergence and growth of far left and right populist political movements on domestic and international order. She does a thorough job tracing the post-Cold War history of the phenomenon she aptly brands “millennial fascism,” and assesses its effects on the domestic political systems of states across the continent, as well as on the European Union and the very idea of Europe. A must read for a turbulent period. (Robert J. Pauly, University of Southern Mississippi) Dr. Ramswell reframes nationalist political action as “Millennial Fascism,” offering insight into Brexit and the US 2016 Presidential election with a new research methodology. Eurosceptic nationalist groups have rapidly gained acceptance and political power by marketing national resurgence in the absence of a racist or violent agenda. In rekeying traditional scholarly approaches previously tuned to WWII fascism, Ramswell’s “millennial fascism” perceives a post-2000 variant that transcends “right” or “left” and deploys political outreach to “continue to rapidly achieve not only success but respect.” Her methodology for identifying Millennial Fascist groups and evaluating their likely political success so far reveals the efficacy of group cohesiveness and the turn toward Putin for inspiration, political access, and resources. Here is the danger of Millennial Fascism: not only the threat of Russia’s rising influence in Europe but its consequence for global political and economic stability. Her work could not be a more timely a step toward clarity. (Renee Courey, Columbia Southern University) About the Author Prebble Q. Ramswell is a political analyst who spent six years working in counterterrorism for the Central Intelligence Agency.