Resisting fascist creep within degrowth

Abstract

As degrowth gains mainstream traction, it risks becoming fertile ground for far-right co-option. This brief article confronts the fascist creep—the strategic infiltration or co-option of leftist discourse—within degrowth spaces. We identify three key points of vulnerability: superficial critiques of growth that leave capitalism unchallenged; neo-Malthusian population discourses that racialise ecological destruction; and a naïve localism that may align with far-right ethno-nationalist visions of land. By tracing connections between capitalism, imperialism, and the contemporary far right, we expose its roots in the violent maintenance of capitalist growth regimes. To counter this, we present a concrete antifascist intervention: the Revolutionary Antifascist Degrowth Reporting Tool, a digital platform for monitoring the risk of far-right co-option. As well as preventing far-right co-option, antifascist theory and practice can inform and inspire effective degrowth strategies.

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http://doi.org/10.36399/Degrowth.003.03.07

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How to cite

APA

Resisting fascist creep within degrowth. (2025). In Degrowth Journal (Vol. 3). https://doi.org/10.36399/Degrowth.003.03.07

MLA

“Resisting Fascist Creep within Degrowth.” Degrowth Journal, vol. 3, Nov. 2025, https://doi.org/10.36399/Degrowth.003.03.07.

Chicago

“Resisting Fascist Creep within Degrowth.” 2025. Degrowth Journal. https://doi.org/10.36399/Degrowth.003.03.07.

Harvard

“Resisting fascist creep within degrowth” (2025) Degrowth Journal. doi:10.36399/Degrowth.003.03.07.