Dilay holds degrees in Economics and Political Science, as well as an MSc in Political Science and Public Administration from the Middle East Technical University (METU), Turkey. She is currently pursuing her PhD in the UK, where she also holds Associate Fellowship at the Higher Education Academy (AFHEA). Before starting her doctoral studies at the University of Surrey’s Department of Politics, Dilay gained professional experience in both academia and the civil society sector, working as an academic assistant and an NGO officer. Her interdisciplinary background in economics, political science, and cultural studies shapes her current research, which examines how Populist Radical Right Parties (PRRPs) impact mainstream political parties’ positions on gender-related issues.
This policy study investigates the strategies employed by European social democratic parties in response to the rise of far-right political parties since the 2010s. By building on well over 100 academic studies, we draw clear strategic implications for progressive actors facing far-right competition.
After looking at scientific research on how to fight the far right, a minimum of three strategic orientations emerge:
1) Social democrats must systematically understand why far-right narratives resonate – examining social grievances, emotions and discursive strategies – without adopting far-right frames.
2) They must reclaim agenda-setting power by foregrounding areas of long-standing credibility – notably, welfare, redistribution and economic justice – and by refusing debates imposed on far-right terms.
3) Social democrats need a positive, forward-looking vision that combines an inclusive collective identity with a credible agenda for economic equality, reconnecting policy with collective emotions.
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Academic Mentor: Daphne Halikiopoulou, Professor of Comparative Politics at University of Reading
Political Mentor: Mathias Ecke, S&D MEP of the European Parliament
