Identity

Identityists advocate a return to tradition and a revival of European identity. The basis of identity is ethnonationalism , viewed through the prism of culture and identity. Identitarianism declares the need to protect Europe from Islamization , the renewal of European identity, the protection of traditional European values, such as religion and the family. Identitarianism emphasizes the importance of cultural diversity, however, it opposes the concept of multiculturalism , arguing that the latter does not contribute to the development of cultures of different nations, but leads to their destruction due to universal cultural unification. ^[17]

Identitarianism supports the separation of nations and opposes mass migration. Adherents of Identitism consistently put forward the slogan "0% racism, 100% identity", ^[18] with the goal of building a single, but not standardized European community. Adherents of identificationism criticize the European Union and declare the need to create a new union of European states - less bureaucratic and suggesting a greater degree of freedom in decision-making for each of the participating countries. Adherents of ideology criticize the EU for supporting universalism , globalization, liberalism and capitalism. They believe that the EU is reinforcing the trends of multiculturalism and mass migration, leading to the merging of nations and national identities. In the context of economic policy, in contrast to the global free market, identificationism advocates protectionism and localism , seeing in them the best way to protect the European economy from negative external economic influence. ^[nineteen]

Identitarianism is based on many images of political thinking, however, the most powerful influence on the development of ideology was:

1. Ethnopluralism . The concept of ethnopluralism in the interpretation of the “father of the new right” Alain de Benoit is based on the acceptance of the existence of various cultures, societies and nations, but not their merger. According to ethnopluralism, the mixing of cultures leads to their unification and subsequent destruction and therefore must be stopped. ^[20] Another mastermind of identificationism, Karl Schmitt , promoted the idea of ​​ethnopluralism as part of the so-called identification democracy, which is the antipode of liberal democracy and does not imply pluralism of interests. Instead, he advocated a form of identity-based democracy. According to Schmitt, the internal homogeneity of a nation is a prerequisite for advancing the interests of the state and society in the framework of the democratic process. ^[21]
2. Traditionalism . The traditionalist school penetrated deeply into the ideology of identificationism in part because the views of many of its theorists were shaped by the ideas of Rene Guenon and Julius Evola . In some cases, the influence in question is obvious - many Scandinavian identificationists clearly accept traditionalism, but more often it is a matter of more limited influence. One example of the latter is Alain de Benoit, who saw in his return to traditional social groups and society a way to restore the connection of individuals with their families, local, corporate and religious societies. ^[22]
3. Archeofuturism . Guillaume Fay, a French journalist and writer, introduced the concept of archeofuturism in order to describe a perfect synthesis of what he called “archaic values,” on the one hand, and modern or futuristic technologies, and civilizational / social development, on the other.
4. Metapolitics . Following the views of the Italian philosopher and politician Antonio Gramsci , identificationism argues that any change in society is impossible without corresponding changes in language and culture. Actions such as influencing the development of culture and language, previously not seen as part of the political sphere, have become an integral part of an identitarian project. ^[23]

A number of political scientists characterize the ideological ideology as a combination of racism , Islamophobia and radical nationalism , where race is replaced by culture and "identity." ^[24] Among others, German political scientist Alexander Heusler argues that identitarianism is a new form of traditional ultra - right movement. ^[25]

According to Heusler, one of the goals of the followers of identitarianism is to make racism modern and fashionable. Breitbart, an American news outlet, called the followers of identificationism “right-wing hipsters, ” noting that their inherent aesthetics have little to do with the image characteristic of ultra-right-wingers. ^[26] Following the same logic, The Economist magazine, in turn, characterized identitarianists as the European version of the alternative right, calling them "wolves in tight jeans." ^[27]

However, adherents of the ideological ideology themselves deny their belonging to ultra-right movements. So, for example, the speaker of the German Identity Movement (IBD), Daniel Fiss, emphasized that the participants in the movement are primarily patriots worried about the future of their country. He denied allegations of racism and noted that the Movement had repeatedly refused to cooperate with representatives of radical organizations. ^[28] Sebastian Zelinger, speaker of the Bavarian branch of IBD, also emphasized that adherents of identitarianism do not speak out against speakers of other cultures, but against the influence of the latter on the culture and norms of European nations. ^[29]

• New right
• Alternative right
• Non-action movement

• Vejvodová, Petra (September 2014). " The Identitarian Movement - renewed idea of ​​alternative Europe " (PDF) in ECPR General Conference ., Masaryk University, Brno: Department of Political Science, Faculty of Social Studies.