Differences and Commonalities between Radical Right-Wing and Radical Left-Wing Activists: Evidence from Interview Research

This research aims at detecting commonalities and differences between social movement activists of the radical right and radical left in France. Based on 44 interviews with members of the French National Front (FN) and 80 interviews with activists of various leftist groups such as Attac and the Front de Gauche, my research detects interesting patterns. For one, I find that both types of activists share similar socialization processes (i.e. they are mainly socialized through family, in school or university or through formative events in their adult life). Radical left- and right-wing activists also share similar personal motivations for engagement including responsibility and altruism, and both groups “fight” against analogous phenomena such as globalization and neo-liberalism. However, these groups also fundamentally differ in two fundamental dimensions of activism: their political values and their engagement patterns. Regarding their political values they are at opposite ends. Whereas, left-wing activists respond to globalization and neo-liberalism by highlighting national and international solidarity and participatory democracy, the radical right-wing members respond to the same phenomena by propagating nationalism, authoritarianism, cultural monism and protectionist policies. I also find that the activists of the radical left are more instrumentalist in their thinking and more volatile in their level of engagement than their right-wing counterparts. Finally, I discover that individuals engaged in the far left are quick to change their organizational affiliation, whereas the members of the FN normally remain faithful to their party.