The Politics of Racism in France

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by Peter Fysh and Jim Wolfreys

Palgrave

Due/Published April 2003, pages, paper

ISBN 1403905150

This wide-ranging book is at the same time a cry of warning for the threat to democracy posed by the French National Front, an analysis of the factors which have made possible its rise and repeated success, and a ruthless critique of the failures of anti-racism. The authors deploy meticulous scholarship in examining the NF's ideology, structure, antecedents and present activities before concluding that is it much better seen as a species of modernized fascism than as simply another temporary emanation of a vague "national populism." The lack of serious opposition to the NF is attributed to the failure of mainstream anti-racists to link up with and defend the minorities which it targets, a reflection of the complacency bred by the enduring myth that France is and has been since 1789 the natural home of the Rights of Man.

Contents

Introduction
The Republic and Her Immigrants
The National Front Breakthrough, 1981-88
Le Pen and the Extremist Tradition
Anatomy of a Fascist Party: Ideology, Strategy, Organization
Youth and Anti-Racism
In and Against the System: The Third Force in French Politics
Where Do We Go From Here?
Bibliography
Index