Twenty-First Century Populism: The Spectre of Western European ...

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France: The FRONT NATIONAL,
Ethnonationalism and Populism
Jens Rydgren
Introduction
The Front National (FN) has been one of the most successful of all populist
parties in Western Europe. Indeed, during the 1980s and 1990s, the party
became a model for others through its combination of ‘fervent nationalism,
opposition to immigration, and a populist hostility to the political establishment’
(Eatwell, 2000: 408). The Front National shares an emphasis on ethnonationalism
with other radical right-wing populist (RRP) parties which is
rooted in myths about the distant past and its programme advocates
strengthening the nation by making it more ethnically homogeneous and
returning to traditional values. Individual rights are generally viewed as
secondary to the goals of the nation. Like most populists, the FN accuses the
elites of putting internationalism ahead of the nation, and of prioritizing
their own narrow self-interests, and various ‘special interests’ over those of
the people (Rydgren, 2007). The above elements of ethnonationalism, xenophobia
and populism are fundamental, therefore, in explaining why the
Front National emerged as an electoral force during the 1980s.
This chapter will be structured as follows: first, a short account of the history
of the FN and of right-wing extremism and populism more generally in
France will be presented. We will then discuss the factors behind the FN’s
emergence and electoral success, focusing in particular on ethnonationalism,
xenophobia and political discontent. This is followed by an analysis of the
ideology and strategies of the Front National. Finally, given that the fortunes
of a populist party also depend on the behaviour of other political actors,
we will briefly examine the relationship between the established political
parties in France − in particular the parties of the mainstream Right − and
the Front National.
The Front National and the history of right-wing
populism in France
The recent wave of Right-wing populism in France began in 1983−84 when
the Front National first received 16.7 per cent of the vote in the 1983 local
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