Les Identitaires’ Impact on French foreign policy during the 2015 crisis of the European asylum system

Abstract

In 2015, the Common European Asylum System and the Schengen regime were placed under unparalleled strain by the mass arrival of 1.2 million asylum seekers. This event was followed by the failure of the EU Commission to promote a common approach. Within this context, this in-depth investigation explores the impact of the far-right social movement Les Identitaires on French foreign policy in the mid-2010s. Since the Front National contains clear roots in far-right social movements, Les Identitaires’ impact is closely entangled with Marine Le Pen’s party. Whereas past research concluded that the far right failed to directly influence key decisions in foreign policy, this study suggests that the French far right’s indirect impact fostered President Hollande’s unwillingness to welcome the refugees and France’s inactivity at the EU level. Thus, France’s cooperation with Germany foundered to unprecedented levels following President Hollande’s U-turn, with significant repercussions on EU integration on migration policy.