The Core Idea is “Our Own People First”

This paper analyses the main elements of the ethnic identity politics narratives in official documents of the most relevant rightist political parties and movements in Serbia. The analysis shows that the main elements of identity politics narratives among the Serbian (far) right political parties and movements are typically based on grievance and threat motifs. These motifs depict the majority ethnic group, the Serbs, as the target of attacks from various sides and one that needs protecting from "them," who have many faces. "We" is primarily identified by ethnic criteria; "our own people first" captures the principle that guides the selection of advocated policy positions. These include the usual facets of rightist ideology. However, our analysis points to a relatively specific function that these identity narratives have – these specific policies and, as a unifying theme, general ideology is, in part, justified by the need to protect those with a shared identity. The parties' and movements' programs and manifestoes are not just an ideological "menu", evidence of policy agenda, but an "instrument" of persuasion, vigorously addressing group-related and existential motivation. The threat narrative represents a sort of coded hostility towards outgroups (people, institutions, ideologies) that not only justifies the often radical policy stances. However, it frames it as an unavoidable act for the "greater good" and necessary when faced with adversity and imminent threat to the group's "survival"