In a short time, identitarian movements have spread in several European countries. The identitarians of France were among the first, and also the most successful. Their thoughts and experiences are of great value for all who have grown tired of old and increasingly irrelevant parties and ideologies. Weblog Oskorei is proud to present an interview with Philippe Vardon from Bloc Identitaire, member of their Executive Political Office and responsible for their local movement in Nice.
*When and how was Bloc Identitaire formed?*
We formed Bloc Identitaire in april 2003, but our youth movement and our
first website (with editorials from our main leaders and many political
and cultural articles) were launched in September 2002.
At this time, we thought (and it was a growing demand) that we also need
to get an ”adult movement” to get together all different energies we saw
coming around our activities.
*What was the thought behind the foundation of Bloc Identitaire?*
A simple idea : nobody’s defending on the political scene what we think
is right, so we gotta do it by ourselves, and build a political movement
(tree with many different branches, we’ll talk about it again later)
working in this way.
From our point of view, there are some political factions asking some
really good questions : nationalists (”national right” in France),
anti-globalization and some extreme left-wing activists, ecologists. But
none of them are putting on the table the right answers. So we wanted to
have our say on the political struggle, even maybe by the electoral way.
This is why we needed to build our organization, born by the meeting of
people coming from different political sides, but arriving on the same
point: defense of our identities (against cultural globalization,
massive immigration and islamization, centralization of the state) /
will of taking back economy and humans to local level / will of
participative, direct and popular democracy / hope in a real political
union of European peoples and nations.
*Why did you choose the boar as your symbol?*
This is an old symbol in our country, coming to us from our ancestors
”Gaulois”. An animal known for its strength and determination, the kind
of you’d better not stop the way… Besides to this, we also thought
that choosing a savage pork for a movement fighting against massive
islamization is kind of funny.
*Are you affiliated with any other organizations? In other European*
*countries and/or in France?*
In France, Bloc Identitaire is the political center of our activities
but we are not a centralized organization, and so there are some local
parties affiliated to Bloc Identitaire (like the one I lead in Nice,
called Nissa Rebela, or ”Alsace d’Abord” in Elsass) in order to respect
local specificities. There are also other organizations linked to us,
working in special domains (youth, culture, ecology, sport).
At European level, we got links with Lega Nord from Italy, Vlaams
Belang, Plataforma per Catalunya and somme personalities of UDC/SVP from
Switzerland. All of them have been present in some of our meetings and
conventions. We pay special interest in developing European partnerships
with movements sharing our visions, or a huge part of them.
*Bloc Identitaire became famous among nationalists all over Europe when you*
*distributed the ”identitarian soup” to homeless people. What was the*
*thought behind this initiative and how did it develop?*
The first thing, the first thought, is that now in our country it’s
better being a stranger than an ethnic French (what we defined as
”Français de souche”, we could say –euro-french- as now there are
French of every colors…). And this is also true if you’re homeless.
Many old French homeless can’t go to popular soups or to night asylum
because they are seen as targets, isolated targets, by groups of
immigrants.
So, during a particular cold winter, we decided to stop it, and we
launched our soups. A soup for ours before others, as said our
communication at this time.
So, yes, it was popular soup with pork. Cause it’s a cheap price meat,
cause it’s a traditional European food… and cause we think that we
don’t have to think about muslims particular restrictions when we cook
for our brothers!
*Are there differences between a nationalist and an identitarian position?*
*If so, in what way?*
We don’t refer to ourself as nationalists. Some of us have been in the
past, some never were.
In France, nationalism got little by little tightly linked with
Jacobinism and idea of centralization of the state. Identitarians defend
all our levels of identity, that we usually identify as three : local
(your ”small country”), national, and civilization. For example, for me
it means Nice, France, Europe. We think that those three levels should
not be seen in oppositions –as many nationalists do- but in
complementarity of each other. We think that you should not live in real
knowledge of who you are if you ignore one of them.
In total coherence, we think that each level should have a part of
political power, according to the logic of ”subsidiarity”.
As identitarians, we also don’t refer ourselves to the state as an
absolute. For us, it’s people that cares first. State is just the
political and administrative organization of this people on his soil.
For too many nationalists, state is an interest, something to defend, by
itself.
*How does Bloc Identitaire differ from a political party?*
You should understand that being the central part of our movement, Bloc
Identitaire is only a part of it. The identitarian movement is at the
same time a political party with Bloc Identitaire, a network of youth
local activists groups with ”Une Autre Jeunesse” (”Atnother youth”,
symbolizing the young identiarians), some identitarians houses in many
towns, a musical label, a permanent political school with our summer
camp… and so many other things.
We believe in putting the fight in every levels we can. Elections are
important, preparing the future by the formation of new leaders is also,
as well as recreating links between gents from our people on our houses.
*What is your position regarding the European Union?*
We don’t share the massive reject of European Union. Of course, EU is
really far from perfect… But are our national states perfect? Really
not, but it doesn’t mean we reject our nations.
In many ways, we think that the matter is not too much political union,
but not as much as we need. A simple and really speaking example is the
question of defense. We don’t want to see the European defense
controlled anymore by USA with NATO. And so, we think that there is a
real Europe of defense to build between our countries.
One the economic level, as we want to relocalize activities, we also
need a tough protectionism on European Union level.
We believe in our destiny as a civilization, not in little national egoism.
*How would you describe the major successes of Bloc Identitaire?*
Difficult to speak for ourselves… We’ve shown that political struggle
could be made in a different way. That being radical (and I think we
are!) should not mean being provocative or nostalgic.
By using new methods and spending a new message, we’ve made our way into
French political reality. We exist, and in many ways, we manage to
impose our words, our subjects, or views. We’re making, creating, the
debate, not running after it…
*Would you like to share some advice with the Scandinavian identitarians?*
*What to do, and what to avoid? Important and less important forms of*
*activism?*
Creativity. Identity is not the past, but what does not pass. Do not
feel yourself into some kind of jail, even if some ”brothers” tell you
it is better, just because it’s warmer to stay in. For ideas as for type
of actions or for political strategy, feel free and analyze the
situation from nowadays view. Lines are moving, times are changing.
*What is your vision for the future of France and Europe?*
Let’s finish with these words we often use, and that are true for France
and Europe : we know that it’s late, but what we also know and that it
is not too late.
Om skribenten: Joakim Andersen
