Florin Feşnic, “Radical Nationalism East and West”
Introduction
In recent years we have witnessed the rise of successful radical nationalist parties
across Eastern and Western Europe. I seek to address the question of whether these
developments are two separate phenomena and their simultaneity is merely coincidental
or, notwithstanding all the differences between advanced industrial countries and post-
socialist countries, these phenomena have similar roots.
I argue that the latter account is in fact accurate. There are analogous
circumstances explaining the success of radical nationalist appeals in both regions. I
employ a most-different systems design by selecting one case from each region: the
Greater Romania Party and the French National Front, two of the most prominent
examples of successful radical nationalist parties.
values on the independent variables of interest, leading to similar outcomes.
The master variable which accounts for the rise of radical nationalist
constituencies in the two countries is economic transition. Even though France’s
transition from an advanced industrial economy to a post-industrial economy is quite
different from that of Romania’s transition from a relatively backward socialist economy
to a post-socialist economy, the social profile of the losers of these transitions is similar:
young, urban blue-collar males with relatively little education. The similarity in their life
experiences is reflected in their attitudes: this social group is the most nationalist,
authoritarian and xenophobic in both countries. Finally, these radical attitudes are
reflected in their vote: blue-collar males are the core constituencies of the Greater
Romania Party and the French National Front.
1
The leaders of the two parties qualified in the second round of the last presidential elections in Romania
and France. Moreover, the Greater Romania Party is currently (2000-4) the second largest party in the
Romanian parliament.
2
Convention