This book explores the activism and solidarity movements formed by contemporary European citizens in opposition to populism, which has risen significantly in reaction to globalization, European integration and migration.

Chapter 1: Citizens’ activism and solidarity movements in contemporary Europe: Contending with populism.- Chapter 2: Dilemmas of citizenship and evolving civic activism in Denmark.- Chapter 3: Against Romanophobia, for diversity and equality: Exploring the activism modes of a “movement within a movement” in Finland.- Chapter 4: Forging “the people” in the UK: The appeal of populism and the resistant anti-bodies.- Chapter 5: The (im)possibility of creating counter-hegemony against the radical right: The case of Austria.- Chapter 6: We are still here and staying! Refugee-led mobilizations and their struggles for rights in Germany.- Chapter 7: The anti-discrimination activism in a backlash context: A panorama of the French situation.- Chapter 8: Racism, post-democracy, an economy that kills: The challenges of civil society movements in Italy.- Chapter 8: Being a citizen in times of mainstreaming of populism: Building post-communist contestatory and solidary citizenship.- Chapter 10: Feminist movements’ acts of citizenship: Experiences from post-socialist Slovenia.- Chapter 11. Citizen’s activism for reimagining and reinventing citizenship countering far-right populism.- Chapter 12:  Activist citizens: An afterword.

This book explores the activism and solidarity movements formed by contemporary European citizens in opposition to populism, which has risen significantly in reaction to globalization, European integration and migration. It makes the counterforces to neo-nationalisms visible and re-envisions key concepts such as democracy/public sphere, power/empowerment, intersectionality and conflict/cooperation in civil society. The book makes a theoretical and empirical contribution to citizenship studies, covering several forms such as contestatory, solidary, everyday and creative citizenship. The chapters examine the diverse movements against national populism, othering and exclusion in various parts of the European Union, such as Denmark, Finland, the UK, Austria, Germany, France, Bulgaria, Slovenia and Italy. The national case studies focus on counterforces to ethnic and religious divisions, as well as genders and sexualities, various expressions of anti-migration, Romanophobia, Islamophobia and homophobia. The book’s overall focus on local, national and transnational forms of resistance is premised on values of respect and tolerance of diversity in an increasingly multi-cultural Europe.

“This is an uplifting book featuring studies across nine European states that provide an antidote to right-wing populism: activist citizenship. It meticulously documents that citizens and non-citizens are on the scene fighting effectively against classism, homophobia, Islamophobia, misogyny, racism, xenophobia, and the whole exclusionary apparatus that’s been gradually dismantled over the last few decades. It affirms decisively that these citizens and non-citizens are creating transversal dialogues across differences with intersectional political performatives.” (Professor Engin Isin, Queen Mary University of London, UK)“This is an impressive and important volume, addressing some of the most urgent contemporary political issues such as resisting the rise of contemporary populist and right-wing movements in different parts of Europe. The book explores these issues through a nuanced, intersectional, comparative theoretical and methodological framework, combining sensitivity to different histories, spaces and differential power relations with the common impact of neo-liberal globalisation. The editors and the contributors are some of the best feminist and activist scholars in the field.” (Professor Nira Yuval-Davis, University of East London, UK)

Explores the democratic counterforces to right-wing populism amongst European citizens Critically reflects upon citizenship, democracy, diversity and conflict Focuses on intersectionality politics rather than identity politics and class politics