A-Infos (en) France, Monde Libertaire - The Far Right Has a Long History (ca, de, fr, it, pt, tr)[machine translation]

Let's try to move beyond the superficial, journalistic claims that the 
far right only appeared on the French political scene during the 1986 
legislative elections. This complex and multifaceted political movement 
has much deeper roots. Baptiste Roger-Lacan leads a team of researchers 
and historians tasked with analyzing it in the book *A New History of 
the Far Right (France 1780-2025)*, published by Seuil. The title itself 
reveals that this history stretches back to the Ancien Régime. The 
anti-Enlightenment movements emerged as early as 1750, and aristocratic 
solidarity, in the face of attempts at innovation, defended the primacy 
of privileges and the exclusivity of the military vocation. Montesquieu 
described it as a "conspiracy against the Third Estate."

The term "far right" is perceived as a stigma by those it applies to. 
Disputes arose over this issue. We are confronted with a radical, 
counter-revolutionary right wing that rejects the notion of equality and 
the concept of individual liberty, instead proclaiming an immutable 
natural order often based on religious considerations. It frequently 
thrives on conspiracy myths. Abbé Barruel created the myth of the 
Masonic conspiracy behind the French Revolution, and today the novelist 
Renaud Camus promotes the Great Replacement theory to sell his eponymous 
book. Anti-modern, reactionary, and hostile to progress, these 
extremists can reveal themselves to be technophiles, distinguishing 
between technological and social progress. In any case, they never give 
up. Their press calls for the regeneration of France, even if it leads 
to assassinations like that of Jean Jaurès by Raoul Villain. Some 
publications denounce the party of foreigners, of anti-patriots, even 
resorting to the most shameless collaboration, such as Je suis partout.

Anti-Revolutionary Nostalgia

This book, A New History of the Far Right, unfolds a fascinating 
historical panorama, revealing forgotten periods and little-known 
behaviors, particularly during the Restoration, fueled by 
anti-revolutionary nostalgia, bordering on the absurd with the 
coronation of Charles X in Reims. The reader will witness the influence 
of monarchists throughout the 19th century, including in the Chamber of 
Deputies. A new restoration was narrowly averted after 1871. The Count 
of Chambord demanded the fleur-de-lis flag, provoking the Pope's dismay, 
who remarked: "All this fuss over a napkin!" This same papacy then took 
up the mantle of reaction with the publication of the Syllabus, a symbol 
of the Church's reactionary doctrines.

During the Third Republic, the far right fostered antisemitism, notably 
through Drumont's "Jewish France," anti-parliamentarianism, Boulangism, 
and the Dreyfus Affair, all fueled by scandals like the Panama Canal. 
Debates became increasingly violent, particularly in Parliament. 
Organizations proliferated to destabilize the regime. The pages devoted 
to the expulsion of "foreigners," reflections on race, anti-communism, 
and the rejection of Freemasons-all inspired by Maurras-foreshadowed 
Vichy France. The temptation of fascism and Nazism was pervasive. Vichy 
represented revenge against the revolutionary past and its reforms. The 
idea of a National Revolution took hold, excluding, marginalizing, and 
destroying protective legal mechanisms. Collaboration with the Milice 
and the Legion of French Volunteers culminated in the SS Charlemagne 
Division, defending Hitler's bunker. However, after the war, this far 
right saw itself as a victim and a martyr. Holocaust denial emerged as 
early as 1947. It also relied on the defense of the colonial empire, 
recycling figures within the country's political and administrative 
apparatus, taking advantage of amnesties.

The Rise to Power

Later, after May 1968, it developed its alliance with business 
interests. And then, as we know better, the rise to power of the 
National Front, the New Right, and the National Rally (a Pétainist 
formula). Small groups capitalized on a so-called identity-based 
counterculture thanks to new media. Alliances were displayed shamelessly.

Here we are. The far right operates on a long-term basis. The 
international situation provides it with support. The authors of this 
book clearly challenge the reader: "Whether one practices history, 
sociology, or political science, the far right is no longer just an 
object of study; it is now a possible future." I would add: accepted, 
even in the circles it fought against.

* Collective work edited by Baptiste Roger-Lacan
A New History of the Far Right (France 1780-2025)
Éditions du Seuil, 2025

https://monde-libertaire.net/?articlen=8719
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