Europe As Ideological Resource

Marta Lorimer's book examines how European integration functioned as an ideological resource for far-right parties seeking legitimation, enabling them to reframe their messages while retaining support.

Drawing on qualitative analysis of over 400 party documents from the Movimento Sociale Italiano/Alleanza Nazionale and the Rassemblement National across several decades, she identifies four core concepts—identity, liberty, threat, and national interest—that the parties used to discuss Europe.

The book shows how appeals to a European civilization, claims about liberty and sovereignty, narratives of existential threat, and assertions of national interest helped these parties appear more legitimate.

Lorimer situates these discursive strategies within changing EU developments and national contexts, arguing they facilitated the far right's shift from fringe to mainstream influence.

The study contributes to understanding the interplay between European integration and the mainstreaming of radical and extreme right politics.