The neoliberal roots of regional embitterment : reproducing ‘left behind’ places through inter-place competition

Kurzfassung/Abstract

Neoliberal regional policies, inscribed in material spatial structures and state apparatuses, foster embitterment in ‘left behind’ places, even when they aim to address regional disparities and past frustrations. As a contribution to the prevalence of far-right movements and parties in ‘left behind’ places, we propose to include emotions in cultural political economic analyses in a more systematic manner. Rooted in critical theory and drawing on the empirical example of the competition for the location of the ‘Future Centre for European Transformation and German Unity’ in Germany, this paper argues that inhabitants of ‘left behind’ places experience geographical unevenness and disadvantages through neoliberal policies such as inter-place competitions.