The borders of European identity

Abstract

Border crossing into the Western world is increasingly becoming a central political question in the beginning of the XXI century. Notably, the growth of populist forms of nationalism in parts of Western Europe and in the Anglosphere is joined by the strong nationalist stances of Eastern Europe’s governments that categorically reject non-European immigration. Overall, these political forces are united in their repudiation of the effects of globalisation, focusing their critiques on how global migration negatively impact national identities. Nevertheless, national-populism is more based on an instinctive reply against unwanted consequences than on a substantive doctrine. Hence, this article goes beyond national-populism and focuses instead on how the criticism of the liberal order is being articulated by identity driven forces, shedding light on their post-liberal visions of the future. Namely, it highlights the growing influence of the political philosophy of the Nouvelle Droite via the multiplication of identitarian movements in the Western world. It argues that border crossing into the West is strongly contributing to the rise of Europeanness.