The last fifteen years have been marked by the meteoric rise of nationalist movements in Europe. In The Harvests of Wrath (Cerf), Charles Sapin, collaborator of Point, investigation into the big bang in progress. The latter takes place in countries where the electorate, which was rather loyal to traditional parties, is becoming radicalized on questions of identity, immigration or lifestyles. Even if it means swelling the ranks of nationalists.
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The journalist keenly questions this dynamic and its roots in many countries with unique histories and cultures. He presents in turn Italy with Giorgia Meloni, president of the Council and the populist Brothers of Italy party, Portugal with the nationalist Chega movement, Sweden and Denmark which offer radically different models. As far as France where today Marine Le Pen appears more and more as a contender capable of winning the 2027 presidential election.
Marianne : You distinguish two forms of nationalism: national-conservatism and national-populism, which implies that all nationalism is not necessarily populism?
Charles Sapin : I started from the definition of populism given by the leading sociologist, Cas Mudde. That is to say a vision of society in two opposing and homogeneous blocks: on one side a corrupt elite, perceived as diverting the general interest for its sole benefit, and on the other, a people, by nature virtuous, which must be expressed with as few filters as possible. Populism in its pure state does not exist, it always combines with another ideology to function.
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