Where are the extremists? The Mexican case for a new understanding in the study of the far right

Abstract

This work addresses the question of Why has there not been an increase in support for far-right organizations in Mexico? The author uses process tracing with a wide data range in order to overcome the lack of academic research done in the country about the far right. First, the theoretical framework for the far, radical and populist radical right are established, with a focus on populism and the populist radical right in the United States and Europe. Furthermore, the author narrates the historical background of the far right in Mexico in order to establish the primary characteristics and continuity from the aftermath of the Mexican Revolution until today. The main work is focused on explaining the process for the far right between 2008-2019. The author concludes that the far right in Mexico hasn’t been able to establish a foothold in large parts of the population, hindering their ability to grow; this in part to the lack of rallying topics such as migration or common external enemies such as the EU and their close links to the country’s economic elite. It also concludes that the far right has appeared in limited numbers in Mexico derived from the introduction of progressive laws in Mexico City as well as the election of left-leaning president Andres Manuel López Obrador. In a nutshell, there seems to be no appetite for a comparable growth in the far right in Mexico, despite their renovated activity in the last few years, so the appearance of a successful far right or populist radical right party seems unlikely.