NATIONALIST POPULISM AND POST-COMMUNISM

2.2. Nationalism

2.2.1. Nationalism as an ideology As a phenomenon, nationalism is subject to a wide variety of meanings. It is definitely more correct to speak about a variety of nationalisms than about nationalism as a singular, uniformphenomenon. 19 Peter Alter, for example, has developed a typology of nationalisms, which to a large degree reflects the discussion on nationalism that has continued for almost half a century. He distinguishes between two basic types: liberal, reformist nationalism; and integral nationalism. The former is grounded in nineteenth-century liberalism (Risorgimento movement), while the latter has its basis in the narrow, exclusivist, right-wing European politics of the late nineteenth century. 20 According to Anthony Smith, the phenomenon of nationalism ranges from “ethnic” nationalism based on a particular cultural group to “territorial” nationalism founded on the “skeletal framework of the territorial state”. Between these two categories, he places a “mixed” form that contains elements of both “ethnic” and “territorial” nationalisms. 21 The common denominator of these different kinds of nationalisms is the tendency toward “exclusiveness”. While ethnic nationalism is centered around a common descent, which gives it an exclusive quality, economic nationalism favours market protection of the territory inhabited by particular ethnic group (nation). In the latter case, economic privileges are usually given to those segments of the population that are interrelated with the ruling political elite in many respects. Although economic interests play a dominant role in this type of nationalism, the role of ethnic factors should not be undervalued. Common ethnic bonds do have a significant impact on the decisions of the political elite, as well as in the field of economic policy. In other words, the economic “other” is often identical to the “ethnic” one. The supporters of an exclusivist nationalist ideology usually favour a “backward-looking”, closed conception of the nation, and aim to strengthen the national identity and statehood through cultural, language, economic and educational policies, as well as through closer co-operation with some popular 19 In the course of the survey of the definition of nationalismmade by Paul Latawski, nationalism was described as “A sentiment, a state of mind, a principle, an ideology, a doctrine, a theory of modernization, an historical process and a catastrophe. Perhaps nationalism is all of these things.” See P. Latawski (ed.) Contemporary Nationalism in East Central Europe . (London: Macmillan Press, 1995), p. 5.

20 P. Alter Nationalism. (London: Edward Arnold, 1991), p. 33. 21 A. D. Smith, Theories of Nationalism. (London: Duckworth, 1971).

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