Pariahs or Partners?

In the past three decades, radical right parties had the opportunity to directly influence political developments from the highest public office in many post-communist Central and Eastern European countries. Oliver Kossack provides the first comprehensive study on government formation with radical right parties in this region. Even after the turn of the millennium, some distinct features of the post-communist context persist, such as coalitions between radical right and centre-left parties. In addition to original empirical insights, the time-sensitive approach of this study also advances the discussion about concepts and methodological approaches within the discipline.

Oliver Kossack, born in 1985, studied social and cultural sciences (BA) and European studies (MA) in Germany and Denmark. From 2015 to 2020, he was a project manager at the NGO Cultures Interactive in Berlin, Germany, focusing on the prevention of right-wing extremism and the promotion of democratic values and human rights. Since 2021, he has been working as personal adviser to the president of the Europa-Universität Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder). His research interests include radical right parties and movements, the post-communist transformation and strategies for preventing illiberal trends and right-wing extremism in Germany and (Eastern) Europe.