Transforming the nation: the nationalisms of center-right parties in Spain and Poland

Abstract

This article proposes a typology of nationalism that distinguishes between extroverted nationalists, who view positively the nation’s relations with other nations, and introverted nationalists, i.e., nationalists who assume that relations with other nations are inherently ridden with conflicts. The article also points to the commonalities and differences between the introverted/extroverted typology and the distinction between civic/modernist and ethnic/perennial nationalism. To illustrate the relevance of the typology, the article analyzes the discourses of two conservative parties, the Popular Party (PP) in Spain and the Law and Justice party (PiS) in Poland. In both countries the parallel processes of European accession and the devolution of powers to sub-state regions forced the transfers of sovereign powers within and beyond the state, forcing conservative parties to reform nationalism along the extroverted/introverted axis.