Does "Populism" in Europe's New Democracies Really Matter?

The article discusses the populist movements in the New Democracies of Eastern Europe and their relation to the "'red-brown' phenomenon" (i.e. the fusion of neo-Nazi and Communist ideas and practices into a new anti-democratic trend). Presenting some of the main features of the regimes of Milosevic and Putin, the author claims that totalitarianism in postmodern times may not necessarily exhibit all the typical characteristics of 20th century movements and still remain totalitarian. The author points out the vulnerability of Europe, emphasizes the importance of the "export of lawlessness" from Russia, and discusses the specific role of Russia among the different anti-Western trends. The possibilities for the appearance of a "red-brown international" are also discussed. Keywords: Export of lawlessness, populism, "red-brown" phenomenon, totalitarianism