Civic nationalism

The Defender of Citizenship

«Anyone who shares our values is one of us.»

Holds that the nation is a community of citizens bound by liberal and secular values, not by ethnicity or religion. It calls for limiting immigration and requiring integration to defend freedom, gender equality and secularism against fundamentalism.

In short

On the traditional scale, this ideology sits in the law-and-order center-right camp. The clearest positions are on immigration: strongly towards “control”; religion: strongly towards “secularism”; justice: fairly towards “tough on crime”; society: fairly towards “progress”. On economy and democracy it stays balanced. Among the other ideologies, the closest is secular republicanism (92%).

Principles

Citizenship rests on shared values, not on blood
Secularism and civil rights are non-negotiable
A generous welfare state requires controlled borders

A nation of citizens bound by liberal, secular values, with limited immigration and demanding integration.

Common criticisms

A convenient labelCritics argue that "shared values" often mask hostility toward Islam and migrants.

Imposed integrationRequiring people to adopt state-defined values can limit the very freedom it claims to defend.

Welfare for someRestricting services to citizens risks creating second-class workers.

Where it comes from

It draws on Ernest Renan's idea of the nation as "a daily plebiscite" (1882); its immigration-skeptical version took hold with Pim Fortuyn in the Netherlands (2002) and the Danish Social Democrats' shift in the 2010s.

Key figures: Pim Fortuyn, Mette Frederiksen

Further reading: The Rage and the Pride — Oriana Fallaci; Tegen de islamisering van onze cultuur — Pim Fortuyn