In 1973 the Italian neo-fascist group Nuova Destra (New Right) started publishing the DIY fanzine The Voice from the Sewer, as an ironic response to the left-wing slogan that incited (neo)fascists to return to the only place that they possibly could have emerged from. Yet now, more than 25 years on, it appears as if the fragmented, contradictory and unrepentant universe of the Italian radical right has crawled out of the sewer and entered the public sphere with heads held high. Armed with new tactics, a rousing new vocabulary and a rehash of old ideologies – and making use of the latest in graphic design – they have carved out for themselves a space which is precariously balanced between the street and the various state institutions and are achieving pernicious success in both arenas.
They label themselves the non-conforme right and ‘third millennium fascists’. Their recent successes and new found abilities in interpreting the moods and swings of our times suggest that their recent, surprising re-emergence cannot be filed away as something symptomatic of a mere appearance of detritus from the past. A closer look at their tactics, ideological baggage and at the role they are playing in contemporary Italy is now more than warranted.
Casa Pound and the New Radical Right in Italy | Mute magazine
I expect that this is only a beginning trend we will see more. The “right” will have to start adopting a different aesthetic in order to attract a new crop of younger supporters. Also, this will not remain an isolated Italian phenomenon, but a widespread one all over Europe and North America.
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