In the latter half of the 20th century, a resurgent fascism—termed neofascism—gained traction across Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and South Africa. Like the pre-World War II fascist movements, they were frequently xenophobic, ultranationalist, militaristic, and illiberal. But important differences emerged from these postwar fascist iterations. Many neofascists placed enormous importance on slowing or stemming immigration, particularly in dense urban areas. They also rebranded themselves as democratic to appeal to a world that had grown rapidly disillusioned with totalitarian regimes. Furthermore, some neofascists sought to align themselves with various economic systems depending on regional politics.
The late 20th century saw the growth of European neofascist parties such as the National Front in France, headed by Jean-Marie Le Pen. His anti-immigrant, identitarian platform played on fears of French cultural dilution, particularly at the hands of Muslims. In the 2010s, European neofascism surged again following a wave of Muslim migrants after the Arab Spring revolts. The National Front in particular enjoyed such popularity that Marine Le Pen, Le Pen’s daughter and the party’s leader, advanced in 2017 to the second round of presidential elections. (She lost to Emmanuel Macron.) And in Germany, the anti-Islamic far-right Alternative for Germany became the second most popular party in the Bundestag by 2018.