Nationalist visions of Europe: Europeanness as a transnational idea of the far right

Far-right and nationalist parties and movements have traditionally been understood through the framework of “Euroscepticism” as critics of the European Union. However, the conceptual lens of “Euroscepticism” and a rejection of “Europe” ignore these movements’ endorsement of the notion of Europe. In fact, far-right groups have explicitly drawn on the concept of Europe and European civilization as an ideological underpinning. At the same time, these groups have shifted their focus away from advocating their countries’ exit from the European Union and have established closer institutional ties. This article examines how Europe functions as an idea and framework for the European far right and how these groups and parties embed the nation within Europe, drawing on historical continuities. It will examine how ideas of Europe matter for far right and nationalist movements by first exploring their historical evolution, then briefly examining three dimensions: (a) European structures, (b) European themes, and (c) European communication and framing. In doing so, it seeks to bring different strands of literature into dialogue to argue for a transnational, interdisciplinary understanding of “civilizational” and a transnational approach to the study of nationalism and the far right.