The Power of Belonging: Nationalism's Role in Far-Right Support in Europe and Latin America

The literature has established nativism—characterized by nationalism and xenophobia—as a core ideological trait of the far-right agenda, particularly in Europe.However, recent analyses raise questions about the extent to which nativism is similarly central in far-right movements in Latin America. Turning to voter behavior, previous research—again primarily focused on Europe—identifies nativism as a significant driver of voting for far-right parties, often measured through attitudes toward immigration as a proxy. This study seeks to expand upon this framework by examining whether nationalism—conceptualized more broadly—serves as a determinant of far-right voting across new third-wave democracies, specifically in Brazil, Argentina, Spain, Poland, and Greece. We explore how distinct forms of nationalism, including civic and ethnic variants, correlate with support for the far right. Using original survey data, we employ a series of trade-off questions to assess attitudes toward nationalism, such as whether individuals can be considered part of a national identity if they do not speak the country’s language, practice the dominant religion, or were not born in the country. Our study advances the understanding of far-right support by examining nationalism—beyond nativist views on immigration—as a potential predictor of voting behavior. By analyzing both civic and ethnic dimensions of nationalism across diverse third-wave democracies, our work provides a comparative framework to assess the ideological foundations of far-right support in both European and Latin American contexts.