The past four years in Norway give the lie to Norwegian political analysts proclaiming that a populist right-wing party in power acts as a brake on rising right-wing extremism.
We ignore the terrorist threat from right-wing extremism at our peril. But the main threat to democracy in our time is even more insidious.
Populist right-wing politicians expressing extreme views on immigration, Islam and Muslims, have in general been confronted in the mediated public spheres to a much greater extent than before 22/7, as have extreme-right wingers. But how much else has moved on?
As Norway ends its first month of mourning, media soundbites tell us that there is a desire to draw a line and move on. But there are lessons to be learned about the consequences of institutional ‘hate speech’ and prejudice in high places. Can Norway lead the way in learning these lessons?
