Contaminated lands? Local dynamics of contentious mobilization around far-right politics

Over the past decade, the far right has gained ground across Europe, even in regions traditionally hostile to its claims. This rise has materialized both in the elections, with notable achievements by radical right-wing parties, and in the streets, with increasing grassroots activities supporting far-right stances. Correspondingly, an opposing mobilization responded to this wave with diverse contentious strategies. However, amid extensive research in electoral politics, the conflict around far-right politics is still scarcely explored within the framework of contentious politics. The thesis aims to address this gap by providing a comprehensive investigation of the contention, studying the mobilization on both sides - the far right and its challengers - and the interactions between them. To do so, the research focuses on local contentious actions both supporting and countering far-right politics between 2015 and 2023. Through a comparative design, it examines two Southern European regions: Andalusia in Spain and Emilia-Romagna in Italy. The two cases share a leftist electoral tradition, recently challenged by the breakthrough of the far right. However, they differ in the timing and the magnitude of the far-right emergence. The research relies on original data collected using the Protest Event Analysis approach and sourced from two local newspapers. The empirical part is organized in three chapters, each addressing different aspects of the contention: the first chapter explores the far-right mobilization, analyzing the actors involved and the issues raised; the second examines the opposing mobilization, identifying the actors involved and their tactics to counter far-right politics; the third investigates the interactions between these opposing sides, focusing on the dynamics of protests and counterprotests. Ultimately, the thesis situates its findings within the broader debate on the rise of far-right politics across liberal democracies, enhancing the understanding of this political conflict within the framework of contentious mobilization.