Socio-political cleavages in France and Germany. The factor of right-wing populism

The article analyzes the phenomenon of divided societies, right-wing populism in France and Germany in the context of alternative narratives of the development of the EU “core” states and the problems of divided (primarily Western) societies. The focus is on the social and political divisions and the resulting socio-political crises, as well as the political agenda promoted by French and German populists. Thus, the research problem is to find out how old and new divisions relate to right-wing populism in France (“Lépenisme”) and in Germany (Alternative for Germany), what is common and what are the differences in this respect between France and Germany, and what are the perspectives of right-wing populist political forces in France and Germany? The theoretical and methodological basis is the concept of divided societies and the comparative method. Describing the divisions that exist within French society, the authors note that within the center-periphery cleavage, the ethno-linguistic factor becomes more important. It is overlaid by a new autochthonous-migrant divide, which is closely linked to the issue of Islamization and the Arab-Africanization of France. In addition, in the context of globalization, a division of Eurooptimists and Alter-Europeanists with respect to European integration is taking shape. In Germany, the regional division along the lines of the old lands vs. the new lands has taken on a special role. The migration factor also plays a significant role in the cleavages that exist within German society. The paper concludes that right-wing populist discourse mirrors the cleavages that have emerged in the divided societies of France and Germany. French and German right-wing populists perform a dialectical function, on the one hand, reinforcing existing domestic and foreign political cleavages, and on the other hand, trying to provide their own response to the challenges facing the French and German peoples, as well as offering a kind of strategic alternative to development. Increasing social divisions and political divisions within European societies indicate a crisis within the core of the Modernity. According to the authors, the growth of populism and intra-European rifts suggests that Modernity is in the process of a fundamental transformation.

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