Family ties and ethnic lines: ethnopluralism in the Far Right’s mobilization in Europe

ABSTRACT

Since the mid-2010s, the Far Right in Europe has seen growing support in parliamentary elections and political movements. This article explores the convergence among right-wing actors in Europe, focusing on their use of familial narratives as a mobilization tool. This study theorizes the entanglement of far-right parties and movements through the concept of frame-bridging. The central theme in these narratives is the image of the traditional family, now increasingly defined by patriarchy, Christianity, and European identity. This reimagined concept of the traditional family intensifies ethnic and racial discrimination in Europe, further narrowing European identity and posing challenges for immigrants and those who fail to conform to this narrow definition of belonging. This article specifically examines the role of the traditional family concept in uniting right-wing actors across regions, using examples from Generation Identity (GI), the European Center for Law and Justice (ECLJ), and the European Christian Political Movement (ECPM).

KEYWORDS:

• Far right
• Europe
• ethnopluralism
• traditional family values
• anti-gender movements
• frame analysis

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).