The lost battle for the working classes and the far right’s march towards hegemony: reclaiming a class perspective to counter fascism in Poland and beyond

Abstract How can the risk of a wave of fascism in Europe be prevented? Why is the liberal mainstream unable to block the march of the far right? Drawing on Polish experience, the author advances the thesis that neoliberal transformation was both the cause of and the coin to right-wing authoritarianism – the two trends are logically interconnected and mutually reinforcing. This leads to a ‘closing of the political universe’, leaving a large part of society politically homeless. The rejection of both the logic of the commodity, which underpins neoliberalism, and the logic of national particularism pursued by the nationalist right requires the re-emergence of a class perspective in both social analysis and progressive politics. The replacement of ‘nation’ with ‘class’ becomes a necessary condition for preventing the fascisation of public life. This signifies a renewed shift of focus to socio-economic conflicts, rather than relieving social tensions through proxy culture wars, which act as a pressure valve.