Nationalism as a component of the political program of right-wing populism in Europe at the beginning of the 21st century
Authors: Popov D. I. 
Published: October 2024

The article shows that in the late 20th - early 21st century. European society has been embraced by profound transformational processes, as a result of which right-wing populist parties, having overcome the image of marginal radical groups and gained solid electoral weight, have become an important actor in the political process in Western countries. Favorable conditions have developed in the European region for strengthening the positions of anti-systemic political forces. The processes of globalization, detraditionalization, and corrosion of the identity of European nations that are taking place in Europe have caused massive civil protests against the cosmopolitan “global village” without borders and national specifics. The populists exploited the anti-immigrant sentiments of the Europeans. The weak cultural integration of migrants into the host society often became the reason for the cultural and value confrontation between the communities of visitors and native Europeans. The process of creation and growth of “parallel communities” of migrants with their own social and legal norms caused a particular concern of the indigenous population. The article argues that nationalism (civil or ethnic) occupies a cornerstone in the political program of the European right-wing populists. The mission of right-wing populists comes down not only to defending the interests of the nation as a homogeneous community, distinguished by a “common will” and “moral purity”, but also to protecting it from “hostile groups” that allegedly threaten the socio-economic well-being and cultural identity of the nation. Ethnic nationalism is based on the understanding of the nation as the highest form of an ethnic community that underlies statehood. In the ethnic core of the nation, right-wing populists include the unity of the territory and the historical past of its members, the commonality of language, culture, religion and traditions. Ethno-cultural nationalism underlies the program guidelines of such right-wing populist parties as the Hungarian “Fidesz” and “Jobbik”, the “Perussuomalaiset” (Finland), “Ľudová strana - Naše Slovensko” (Slovakia), “Nacionālā Apvienība” (Latvia), “Българско национално движение” (Bulgaria). The basis of civic nationalism is the values of a civic nation, that is, a political identity built around common citizenship in a particular state. A civil nation is determined not by its language or culture, but by the national consciousness of its members. Civic nationalism is the nationalism of an already established state, striving to consolidate all citizens into a single community. The type of cultural-civil nationalists can be attributed to the Dutch and Austrian freedom parties, the parties “Alternative für Deutschland” (FRG), “Vlaams Belang” (Belgium), “Rassemblement national” (France), “Lega” (Italy). Both civic and ethnic right-wing populist nationalists share the principles of civilizational nationalism, which emphasizes such criteria of national identification as belonging to a Western, European, Judeo-Christian civilization, as well as accepting the values of this civilization.