The Battlefield of European Identity Politics

Representative or divisive? Identity politics are at the root of many culture wars currently making their way across the continent.

• Recently, the phrase “identity politics” has become increasingly prevalent in social and political discourse throughout Europe.
• Identity politics refers to the tendency of people to align their political beliefs to issues related to their identity; this could be their gender, race, religion or an array of identifying factors.
• The approach often entails a two-sided debate; with one movement striving to maintain the status quo as it matches their identity politics, and another movement striving to carve out a new path.
• Identity politics are attributed as the fuel to many of the greatest debates facing the EU and its nations, such as refugee movements, LGBTQ+ laws and separatist movements such as Brexit.
• Many politicians turn to identity politics in an attempt to gain popularity. However, in the process, they fail to notice they are increasingly turning their nation's people against each other.
• This has resulted in a number of separatist movements both internally and externally across a series of European countries.