This text is part of the contents of the first book by ECOAR))) and will go on sale at the end of this year, 2026. Winning the Narrative! Manual for Combating the Far-Right Discourse.
Below are six blocks of guidelines for discursively confronting the far-right. The first three blocks of guidelines (those related to frameworks and language, those related to argumentative and emotional strategy, as well as warnings and mistakes to avoid) belong to the realm of one’s own development, that is, those that individuals and organisations should use in direct argumentation with far-right discourse. On the other hand, the following three blocks (those related to the agenda and the media, those related to education and the social fabric, as well as those related to political and institutional strategy) make up the indirect guidelines, that is, those that individuals and organisations should use regarding third parties in order to confront the far-right.
1.- GUIDELINES RELATED TO FRAMEWORKS AND LANGUAGE (DON’T PLAY ON THEIR TURF!)
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Do not respond to or reproduce the framework established by the far-right. Instead, apply the 3 R strategy: reframe (change the framework. E.g. Immigration brings crime ⟶ Immigration sustains society), reject (point out deviations and lies. E.g. Immigration brings crime ⟶ You are mixing immigration and crime, and data ‘x’ and ‘y’ do not indicate that but quite the opposite), and highlight (build a new, majority discourse. E.g. Immigration brings crime ⟶ Security is born from trust and cohesion, not from hatred. More schools, more hospitals, greater distribution of wealth…).
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Do not use their euphemisms or terminology. Instead, identify concepts by their real signifier. E.g. “parental pin” > “educational censorship”; “re-migration” > “racist deportation of people”; “feminazi” > “fear of losing male privileges”; “woke dictatorship” > “panic about equality”; “national priority” > “racism”.
2.- GUIDELINES RELATED TO ARGUMENTATIVE AND EMOTIONAL STRATEGY (PUT A MIRROR IN FRONT OF THEM!)
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Denounce and unmask extreme polarisations. Instead, build an elaborate argument that shows the diversity of positions and the complexity of the issue. E.g. “Either we tightly control the borders or thousands of criminals will enter” ⟶ “That framework simplifies a much more complex debate, in addition to making a false connection between migration and crime, showing strong racism…”.
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Confront discourses that have discriminatory biases. Instead, disengage from the hoax, do not react with scandal and surprise, and finally, describe the speaker (classist, sexist, racist, authoritarian, violent, denialist…), but do not insult. The main discursive characteristic of the far-right is to play the victim and dramatise. In the case of receiving insults, it follows a dual path: they victimise themselves and also assume they have free rein to wallow in the discursive mud. E.g. “You have to be a bastard to think like that! You’re a disgusting racist!” ⟶ Calmly describe the person and, if possible, point out their feeling of insecurity: “It is clear that racist people always feel very insecure about immigration.”
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Create new “chains of equivalence” avoiding hierarchical “1 vs. 1” divisions. Instead, articulate different demands within the same common framework so that different groups recognise themselves in the same project. E.g. “Young people want to take advantage of the elderly’s housing” ⟶ “Young people who cannot become independent, families with high mortgages, elderly people with low pensions, and workers with low wages share the same problem: access to decent housing.”
3.- WARNINGS AND MISTAKES TO AVOID (DON’T FALL INTO THE TRAP!)
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Prevent the far-right from being the one to install the discursive framework. Instead, one’s own discourse must be predominantly new, building alternative frameworks centred on one’s own proposals and values; do not limit oneself to denying the other’s discourse, as that updates, reproduces, and amplifies it. E.g. “Immigration is the country’s main problem” ⟶ “The main challenges for the majority of citizens are access to housing, job insecurity, and the strengthening of public services. Migration policies are an issue that must be addressed effectively, with respect for rights and international cooperation, without diverting attention from other problems that affect society as a whole.”
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Do not avoid or omit (nor imitate!) the far-right’s communicative strategies. Instead, focus on solving structural problems and confronting power structures, not copying far-right narratives (exacerbated nationalism, technological accelerationism, identity discourse…) which only pave the way for the far-right. E.g. “Political and economic elites have abandoned ordinary people because they prioritise foreigners” ⟶ “Inequality and the loss of economic security are related to specific political and economic decisions: difficulties in accessing housing, loss of purchasing power, or weakening of public services. The response must be to improve the living conditions of the social majority, not to propose racist measures that seek to evade the real responsible parties and beneficiaries, while blaming a group that is not responsible for inequality.”
4.- GUIDELINES RELATED TO THE AGENDA AND THE MEDIA (HOLD THE MEDIA ACCOUNTABLE!)
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Question and redefine the public agenda. Instead, do not accept that the far-right sets the debate topics and bet on issues outside its framework, mostly inclusive and intercultural. E.g. “Squatting is the big housing problem.” ⟶ “The main concern of the majority is being able to access decent housing at an affordable price. Let’s talk about housing supply, rents, price controls, elimination of tourist flats, aggressive taxation and scaled taxes for large landlords, rehabilitation, youth emancipation…”
5.- GUIDELINES RELATED TO EDUCATION AND THE SOCIAL FABRIC (STRENGTHEN YOUR COMMUNITY!)
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Do not allow them to feel that the street and public space are or can be theirs. Instead, promote the occupation and revitalisation of public spaces, social mobilisation, and the activation of the social fabric. The response cannot be merely communicative; it needs social action, activism, and collective construction. E.g. Organise fairs, concerts, popular festivals or walks, promote mobilisations and demonstrations, revitalise social and civic centres, organise actions, support local associations, create meeting spaces…
6.- GUIDELINES RELATED TO POLITICAL AND INSTITUTIONAL STRATEGY (EXERT ALL THE PRESSURE!)
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Stop the advance of initiatives or political lines that seek to pervert and alter democracy. Instead, protect the rule of law and ensure that there are no institutional actors (police, army, judges) who subvert or alter the democratic order. E.g. Guarantee the independence of the judicial branch, eliminate the arbitrary monopoly on the use of force by the State, eliminate gag laws, expand political-civil rights, prosecute conduct contrary to rights and freedoms…