Conclusion

Abstract

This chapter summarizes the predominant themes that cut across the other chapters in the book. The themes are presented as three “triggers” that have played a role in reactivating right-wing populism in Europe. These include immigration, particularly that which followed the refugee crisis that began in 2015; economic crisis in the wake of the 2007–2008 global recession; and a general crisis of sovereignty, sparked by the shortcomings of global institutions and multilateral organizations such as the European Union. The chapter suggests that the rise of nationalist populism is also partly the result of a failure of liberal and left political parties—not only their abandonment of working-class voters in favor of neoliberal interests, but also their connections to a transnational urban elite class, the members of whom are often employed in fields like biotechnology, Internet technology, and academia. The chapter concludes by suggesting that anthropologists should develop new research projects on right-wing populism—not only in Europe but globally—and that they should also be wary of the ways in which their academic and political work might be used to reinforce stereotypes that serve the interests of nationalist populists.