👏👏👏 A fascinating and well-written article, Tom! The popularity of the Puy du Fou is not at all surprising. It is a reflection of the rising nationalism all across Europe a Europe in reaction to globalization, European integration and mass immigration from the third world. All these trends have understandably causes a fear among the French people they will lose their distinct national, cultural and religious identity. The Puy du Fou theme park reminds them of who they are and where they come from and is a vision of what they want their future as a nation to look like.
The theme park reminds them of the glorious history of the French nation from the days of Ancient Gaul to the dashing knights in shining armor and beautiful queens of Medieval France to the pillaging and destruction of the Viking invaders (who are an allegory for criminal immigrants), to the glory of the French Empire to the unparalleled courage and determination of the French Resistance during WWII. For once, someone isn’t s****ing all over their country and it’s history. They can be proud of their heritage and be reminded of what makes France great. With hundreds of thousands coming to visit it from all over Europe even a couple French Presidents, and countries across Europe doing similar things to emphasize love of country and to give people in Europe a sense of national belonging and unity again.
The lesson the popularity of this park teaches us and the rise of nationalism all over Europe teaches us is that globalism and European Integration have their limits and that people in the West these days long for meaning, to hold on to national and cultural traditions and a shared patriotism that binds the people of a nation together. They also seek to maintain cultural and ethnic continuity and don’t want to be swamped by globalist cosmopolitanism and mass immigration from the Middle East and Africa. Nor do they wish to lose what makes them and their country unique or their distinct ethnic identity. They fear becoming part of one big gelatinous mass called Europe where they lose all the markers that make them are they are.
This is completely understandable and this is no longer a phenomena limited to the far-right but now spans the concerns of Europeans East and West, across the political spectrum. Every country has a right to maintain its indigenous people as the demographic majority and it’s culture as predominant in their own country. Brussels is also going to have to accept that European integration can only go so far and that it will never 100% be achieved. As Tom points out, the technical jargon of the EU simply can’t compete with stories of uniting in Christ or the heroism of the French resistance against the Nazi occupation. If the postwar consensus in Europe is to survive it must adapt to the times and the EU must accept that each individual European nation must have a degree of national sovereignty and must be allowed to stay true to its roots.
Great to know. Appreciating and learning from our history is important. The woke academics (legends in their own lunchtime) have, for too long, tried to obliterate and rewrite our history according to their own narrative. Great to know the French are rediscovering their history and identity.
Thank you, Mr Tugendhat. I very much enjoyed this. I was, however, left wondering whether this nostalgic (I think anemoic might be the better word) increase in visits to Puy du Fou is a result of a grassroots change in a desire for a France that looks back on its past in admiration (hungry for a national identity?), or is it a bit more a manufactured poduct from that of de Villiers?
👏👏👏 A fascinating and well-written article, Tom! The popularity of the Puy du Fou is not at all surprising. It is a reflection of the rising nationalism all across Europe a Europe in reaction to globalization, European integration and mass immigration from the third world. All these trends have understandably causes a fear among the French people they will lose their distinct national, cultural and religious identity. The Puy du Fou theme park reminds them of who they are and where they come from and is a vision of what they want their future as a nation to look like.
The theme park reminds them of the glorious history of the French nation from the days of Ancient Gaul to the dashing knights in shining armor and beautiful queens of Medieval France to the pillaging and destruction of the Viking invaders (who are an allegory for criminal immigrants), to the glory of the French Empire to the unparalleled courage and determination of the French Resistance during WWII. For once, someone isn’t s****ing all over their country and it’s history. They can be proud of their heritage and be reminded of what makes France great. With hundreds of thousands coming to visit it from all over Europe even a couple French Presidents, and countries across Europe doing similar things to emphasize love of country and to give people in Europe a sense of national belonging and unity again.
The lesson the popularity of this park teaches us and the rise of nationalism all over Europe teaches us is that globalism and European Integration have their limits and that people in the West these days long for meaning, to hold on to national and cultural traditions and a shared patriotism that binds the people of a nation together. They also seek to maintain cultural and ethnic continuity and don’t want to be swamped by globalist cosmopolitanism and mass immigration from the Middle East and Africa. Nor do they wish to lose what makes them and their country unique or their distinct ethnic identity. They fear becoming part of one big gelatinous mass called Europe where they lose all the markers that make them are they are.
This is completely understandable and this is no longer a phenomena limited to the far-right but now spans the concerns of Europeans East and West, across the political spectrum. Every country has a right to maintain its indigenous people as the demographic majority and it’s culture as predominant in their own country. Brussels is also going to have to accept that European integration can only go so far and that it will never 100% be achieved. As Tom points out, the technical jargon of the EU simply can’t compete with stories of uniting in Christ or the heroism of the French resistance against the Nazi occupation. If the postwar consensus in Europe is to survive it must adapt to the times and the EU must accept that each individual European nation must have a degree of national sovereignty and must be allowed to stay true to its roots.
Great to know. Appreciating and learning from our history is important. The woke academics (legends in their own lunchtime) have, for too long, tried to obliterate and rewrite our history according to their own narrative. Great to know the French are rediscovering their history and identity.
Thank you, Mr Tugendhat. I very much enjoyed this. I was, however, left wondering whether this nostalgic (I think anemoic might be the better word) increase in visits to Puy du Fou is a result of a grassroots change in a desire for a France that looks back on its past in admiration (hungry for a national identity?), or is it a bit more a manufactured poduct from that of de Villiers?
Thank-you for the article Tom. Perhaps you would consider taking a look at this take on the issue of flags from Guerre and Shalom: https://danielclarkeserret.substack.com/p/the-tenth-crusade?r=2bk821