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AspectsofDemocracy
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nationalism.Inthepast,nationalism,combinedwithracismandxenophobia,con-
stitutedtheideologicalbasisoffascismanditsmostextremeform-Nazism.The
goalofstrengtheningdemocracywastobuildsafeguardsthatwouldbalance
thepoliticalpowersandincreasetheroleofnon-electiveinstitutionsorthose
relativelynon-accountabletovoterslikeconstitutionalcourtsdesignednotonly
todefendindividualrightsbutalsodemocracyingeneralagainstthereturnof
extremeformsofnationalism.Inshort,inpost-warEuropetheperceptionofna-
tionalismwasdefinitelynegativeinmostEuropeancountries,anddistrustofun-
limitednationalsovereigntyandacceptanceofliberaldemocracywaswidespread.
Inthelastthirtyyearsofthe20thcentury,subsequentcountriesoverthrewau-
thoritarianregimes(Spain,Portugal,CentralandEasternEurope)andreturnedto
liberaldemocracy(Müller2016).
After1945,nationalistmovementswereclearlyweakenedinEuropebutthat
doesnotmeanthattheycompletelydisappeared.Theirreturntopoliticsoccurred
atthebeginningofthe21stcentury.Todaywearedealingwithawaveofnation-
alism,knownastheextremeright.Wewroteaboutthefactorsthatrevivedna-
tionalistsentimentsandthecreationofnewnationalistmovementsandpartiesin
section1.1.BelowwewillfocusmainlyonthoseaspectsofEuropeannationalism
thatarerelatedtothepolicyoftheEuropeanUnionandtheEuropeanintegration
processes.
TheEuropeanUnionbuiltananti-totalitarianandanti-populistpoliticalor-
deronthefoundationsofdistrustofnationalsovereignty.Bylimitingtheuwill
ofthepeople”itbecameparticularlysensitivetotheallegationsofpoliticalactors
speakingonbehalfofthenationasawhole,whoseparticipationinpoliticswas
diminished(Müller2016).
Infact,nationalistsandpopulistsarenotinterestedinincreasingthepolitical
participationofthepeople,butingainingthesupportandlegitimacyofpower
basedonthebeliefthatthesourceofpowerisandshouldonlybethenation.
Meanwhile,thepost-warorderofEuropeisbasedontheideaofkeepingtheuna-
tion”atbay.
ThenegativeattitudeofthemajorityofEuropeanstowardscontemporaryna-
tionalismisnotonlytheresultofhistoricalexperience,butalsothecriticismof
politicalagendaandthewaysinwhichnationalistpartiesandtheirleadersoper-
ate,basedondemagogyandpopulism.Inlanguagepractice,bothoftheseterms
areusedsynonymouslyandunderstoodasuflatteringthemasses,referringtothe
psychologyofthecrowd,preyingonirrationalhopes,buildingpoliticalinfluence
anditsmassfoundationonawakeningemotions,illusionsandclaims,promises
withoutcoverage,etc.”(encyklopedia.pwn.pl).Inaddition,thepopulismbasedon
thestereotypeofasimplemanandthewisdomofsimplepeople(nation)perceives
peoplenotonlyinsocialcategories,butalsoinreligiousones,andopposesthem
tothepower,elitesandstrangegroups(intermsofclass,religion,ethnicity)which
isusuallyassociatedwithintoleranceandxenophobia.Appealtothewisdomof
thenationischaracterisedbybothnationalistpartieswhoopposedemocracyand