Anticommunism(instrumental) France Chile Left/ Right Left/ Right Figure 4 –4 –2 0 2 4 –4 –2 0 2 4 Rassemblement National Les Républicans Ensemble Kast Sichel Italy Peru Left/ Right Left/ Right –4 –2 0 2 4 Lega Fratelli Forza –4 –2 López Aliaga 0 K. Fujimori 2 4 de Soto Across both continents, far-right leaders successfully use»communism« as a floating signifier, an empty label to which they attach fears of: → state intervention and taxation(France); → environmental(over)regulation(Italy); → security threats and terrorism(Peru); and → economic collapse and social chaos(Chile). This rhetorical elasticity allows»communism« to stand in for virtually any policy that challenges neo­liberal orthodoxy, social conservatism or national sovereignty. In turn, it fuels polarisation, delegitimis­es reform and distorts democratic debate. Policy recommendations 1. Do not dismiss anti-communist rhetoric as merely anachronistic. The emotional and instrumental ap­peal of anti-communism is real, measurable and polit­ically consequential. Progressives and centrists ignore it at their peril. 2. Disentangle left-leaning agendas from Cold War imaginaries. Climate action, social justice or public health care must be defended as pragmatic, future-ori­ented policies, not relics of a defunct ideology. Com­municative strategies should pre-emptively de-link these proposals from»communist« stereotypes. 3. Expose the symbolic manipulation behind anti-com­munist discourse. Civil society organisations, fact-checkers and public intellectuals should highlight how far-right actors use»communism« as a catch-all slur, detached from actual content or context. Coun­ter-narratives must frame this rhetoric as a tool of fearmongering and distraction. 4. Recognise the heterogeneity of anti-communist atti­tudes. Not all anti-communists are on the far right. Affective anti-communism may coexist with centrist or even liberal values, especially in countries such as Ita­ly or Peru. Broad coalitions should focus on bridging concerns – such as security or national identity – without conceding ground to ideological stigmatisa­tion. 5. Develop proactive narratives around democracy and pluralism. Rather than go on the defensive, political actors should frame their proposals as rooted in dem­ocratic principles, civic inclusion and national renewal. This framing reduces the vulnerability of left-wing and centrist agendas to stigmatisation. The scarecrow of communism 4