Tolerance of other countries’ fascisms has long been a feature of political life. Do we use the term ‘fascism’ to understand the far-right authoritarian-populist movements that we have known? And is it viable to maintain the assertion that fascism happens elsewhere? Historically and in contemporary times, völkisch nationalists, fascist organisations, and proto-fascist movements have proven more flexible than the left in co-operating across borders, even though far-right ideologies are apparently inward-looking, while left-wing thought is shaped, at least in theory, by a universalist orientation and internationalist concerns. How do we understand this paradox?