Rise of the far right in Europe and the effect on democratic backsliding. Insights from Hungary and Italy.

Despite the efforts to foster democratic rules of governance, following the waves of democratization and several decades of transitioning and democratic consolidation, European democracies are now facing a prevalent threat of democratic backsliding. While being influenced by authoritarian rulers and populist narratives, European democracies are losing quality, transitioning to hybrid regimes, and experiencing an overall decline of democratic institutions. Combined, the young democracies’ incomplete consolidation processes, and the expanding influence of the far right in the political scene, contribute to this multifaceted process. Contrary to the common perspective, older and well-established democracies do not remain immune to the growing issue of democratic backsliding. The existing literature does provide an insight into the impact of the far right in the subtle processes of democratic backsliding, however, this thesis allows for a more detailed observation of the role of the far right in these developments. Consequently, the present thesis will focus on the growing phenomenon of democratic backsliding in Europe, and on the rise of the far right in Europe, while especially considering the relation between the two. In addition, the thesis is devoted to examining the far right and democratic backsliding in Hungary and Italy, with a special focus on the negative effects on the two of the democratic pillars – the rule of law and freedom of the press.