“We are fortress Europe!” Nativism and religion in the ideology of Pegida in the context of the European crisis

Mihai Murariu

doi:10.31743/spw.259

Abstract

This article deals with the movement known as “Patriotic Europeans against the Islamisation of the Occident,” or Pegida, focusing primarily on the nativist dimension which often takes centre stage in its ideological discourse. Pegida describes itself as a defender of Western Civilization and of its Christian legacy from what it sees as the perils of Islamisation on the one hand, and of globalist political elites on the other. In the context of the political changes and rise of alternative visions of civil society, particularly in Central and Eastern Europe, Pegida should arguably be seen as a representative of a growing European nativist wave. Lastly, the article looks at the “Prague Declaration,” a document which was signed in 2016 by Pegida and a number of allied movements from outside of Germany.

Highlights

THE IMPORTANCE OF NATIVISMThis article deals with the movement known as “Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the Occident,” typically known by its acronym, Pegida
It makes the case that this resurgent nativist perspective may function either in a more narrow, German context, or perhaps even in that of a greater, Pan-European identity – with Christianity shaping a distinctive image of Europe and the West as a whole
This is contrasted with the three major threats that Pegida identifies on a political level, on a cultural level, and on a spiritual level, at times involving a combination of factors

Summary

THE IMPORTANCE OF NATIVISM

This article deals with the movement known as “Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the Occident,” typically known by its acronym, Pegida. It makes the case that this resurgent nativist perspective may function either in a more narrow, German context, or perhaps even in that of a greater, Pan-European identity – with Christianity shaping a distinctive image of Europe and the West as a whole. This is contrasted with the three major threats that Pegida identifies on a political level, on a cultural level, and on a spiritual level, at times involving a combination of factors. These can range from internal moral collapse, population replacement especially via third world migration, and the growth of Islam and of Islam-friendly policies within Western states, which, Pegida asserts, constitutes a step in an unprecedentedly dangerous process of Islamisation

MIHAI MURARIU

POLITICAL TRANSFORMATIONS AND NEW CIVIL SOCIETIES

HOMELAND AND FOREIGNNESS

CONCLUSION