And if, behind the ‘populism’ in Europe, a powerful nationalist wave were hidden? Over the past three decades, nationalist and identity mobilisations have given rise to disruptive and now firmly established political formations. Pierre-André Taguieff did not see the expression of a ‘populist fever’ or an indication of a ‘return to fascism’, but the emergence of a new type of challenge to representative and pluralist democracies. This national-populist wave was radicalised by the combined effects of a violent opposition to European integration, an increasing diabolisation of immigration and a hance of ‘Islamisation’. In addition, there is a deep mistrust of globalisation, the transnational elites of which are the agents and only beneficiaries. This combination of fears, hostilities and rejections explains why the main theme of nationalist discourse is today the issue of endangered collective identity. Its symbolic effectiveness, reflected in impressive electoral scores, is due to the triple fact that the nation state is in crisis, that representative systems are increasingly dissatisfied and that Islam is a threat in public opinion. It is not the only paradox of these nationalist and xenophobic parties to go to the assault of a Europe whose construction process they reject. Introduction I — Threat figures: extremism, nationalism, populism II — The extreme right as a reality and as representation III — The French case: steps in a non-linear evolution IV — Identity captured by insecurity: formation of the national-populist configuration V — “populism” as a political style, rhetoric and ideological orientation VI — Pathologies of democracy or demagogic drifts VII — Political Populism, Armenian function and demagogy VIII — Nationalist orientation: neopopulisms identities and sovereigns IX — Evolution of protest populisms and identities/sovereigns X — Identity, sovereignty, security: new xenophobia and anti-globalism XI — Mass democracy against liberal pluralism XII — What is meant by a “renaissance of fascism”? XIII — Nationalism: a phenix Conclusion Notes Bibliography Sources