Special Issue on Memory Politics and the Resurgence of Nationalism and Right-Wing Populism”

Open AccessArticles / Special Issue Reimagining Political Identity and Ideology in Europe: Memory Politics and the Resurgence of Nationalism and Right-Wing Populism)

A new wave of memory politics has re-shaped European politics: the traditional narrative of European democracies of being built on the collective experience of war, fascism, Holocaust, and Soviet-style Communism is currently re-evaluated on different fronts. Most prominently, for many Central and East European countries, a more exclusionary, ethno-culturally framed nationalism has become a critical reference point in directing forms of collective identity and political ideologies. At the same time, right-wing populists from across Europe have embarked on questioning the long-established political lessons drawn from past authoritarian regimes and the anti-fascist foundations of Western democracies. In contrast, the European Union seeks to promote a European memory culture that, based on shared historical experiences and political principles, could transcend the divisiveness of a resurgent nationalism.

This Special Issue explores how historical narratives are mobilized in contemporary Europe, why they have become so prominent (and controversial) in public discourse, and what kind of political objectives are driving them.

Open access to the