The electoral persistence of far-right parties in Europe

Since the financial crisis of 2008, democratic governments across Europe have seen revitalization in support for far-right political parties. A number of these new parties have managed to achieve electoral success in multiple consecutive elections despite the use of violence by its members and supporters. I argue that the continued electoral support of far-right parties can largely be attributed to the efforts of party activists in establishing electoral connections with its constituency through the provision of essential and meaningful services. I create a unique tripartite explanatory model to account for the electoral persistence of far-right parties. I employ this model to analyze Golden Dawn in Greece and Jobbik in Hungary and demonstrate how the actions of party activists can engender continued political support for even the most extreme far-right parties.