Nostalgia and the Future of Sovereignty

Although it is difficult to identify another place where national consciousness and dissatisfaction with its current global role are as intertwined as in Britain, similar forms of nostalgic nationalism might affect other countries in the future. Nostalgia, after all, has penetrated the foundations of the socio-political fabric of several nations and structural forces, such as ageing populations, mass immigration and technological disruptions, which will reinforce attitudes of longing. This is why it is important to start a serious discussion about the “nostalgic politics” that is likely to become a distinctive feature of this part of the twenty-first century, and also a threat to the liberal international order. The problem with nostalgia is that it induces individuals to shift their political attitudes in favor of a nationalist agenda. In the end, the politics of nostalgia can be seen as part of the battle for sovereignty to regain control over the fate of a nation and its identity. To succeed in the game of today’s emotional politics, mainstream parties need to play by its rules. They should themselves leverage the past, which offers ample evidence that progress in the future is always still possible, countering restorative nostalgia with reflective nostalgia.