Europe as ideological resource

Organised by

• Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies
• EGPP: European Governance and Politics Programme

While far-right parties were long relegated to the political margins, today they are regular features of European party systems. How did they go from an illegitimate fringe to contenders for public office – and did Europe have anything to do with it? In her book, Europe as Ideological Resource, Marta Lorimer argues that European integration functioned as an ideological resource for far-right parties, enabling them to refashion their political message in a more acceptable form while maintaining the allegiance of existing supporters. Drawing on qualitative analysis of documents produced by the Movimento Sociale Italiano/Alleanza Nazionale and the Rassemblement National, the book identifies the discourses these parties used to talk about Europe, and the legitimation mechanisms associated with them. By understanding how European integration facilitated the far right’s transition from the margins to the mainstream, this book adds one piece to the puzzle of far-right legitimation.