Martin Sellner has established himself as a central figure in the German-speaking identity movement. Initially a law student, he branched out into philosophy and became involved in activism at an early age. In 2012, he co-founded the Austrian identity movement (Identitäre Bewegung Österreich), drawing inspiration from French identitaires with symbolic actions, trenchant communication and acerbic criticism of migratory flows. His activism is polarizing: adulated by some, vilified by others, he attracts incessant media coverage. Faced with institutional pressure and militant violence, he remains a key protagonist in debates on immigration and European identity. In this interview, Martin Sellner talks about his career, his struggles and the obstacles he continues to defy.
Your activism began at a very early age. What prompted you, as a young student, to take up such a divisive cause ?
At the time, we saw great potential in the German-speaking world, but a lack of a platform. New-right, modern, professional activism that focuses exclusively on the issue of identity and migration, with a clear European orientation. That was the vision and from it emerged the most successful patriotic NGO: generation identity.
You co-founded the Austrian identitarian movement in 2012, taking inspiration from the French identitaires. But some criticize this style as being more theatrical than substantive. How do you respond to those who say your happenings lack concrete solutions ? I think these critics don't quite understand the meaning of metapolitical activism. The action is always symbolic. Their task is to focus attention, get people thinking and start debates.
We are the only ones who have been consistently proposing concrete solutions for 12 years. The great replacement, Fortress Europe and remigration are terms that have been significantly shaped and popularized by Identitarians.
What memories do you have of those early days, and what motivated you to structure this activism at that particular time?
It was a time of change and upheaval. I was studying in Vienna and a group of young new right-wingers quickly gathered around a reading circle. We brought the French spark into the germanosphere and a time full of adventure began. A mission on the Aegean, in the French Alps, on the Brandenburg Gate. Our movement was a real youth movement. no one in the IB was older than 25. It was a magical and brilliant time!
You are regularly vilified as a racist, right-wing extremist and, very quickly, a Nazi. How do you respond to those who accuse you of promoting hatred and radicalizing a generation ?
These are, of course, cheap demonizations. We love our people, but respect all other cultures. “Anti-racism” has become a code word for ”anti-environmentalist”
What we have actually achieved is the opposite. We created a new type of right-wing activist who no longer conformed to the old clichés, who emancipated himself from genuine extremism, strategic, militant dead ends and symbolic fetishes. Identitarian, patriotic “street workers” have had massive success in professionalizing patriotic activism over the last 10 years, from Paris to Vienna, Berlin, Stockholm, Bern and London.
Your activism exposes you to institutional pressures and militant violence. How do you deal with these challenges on a daily basis ?
We are waging a defensive two-front war against the left-wing terrorist Antifa and censorship, debanking, surveillance and repression by the elites. No one is more under fire than the patriotic opposition. We only survive because we withstand repression and terror with great discipline and perseverance. In everyday life, this means remaining vigilant at all times and taking care of our own safety, as well as countering illegal infiltration attempts and surveillance. I don't want to go into detail here, but we have gained a lot of experience in this area.
You are organizing, with the help of others, the first large-scale European event on remigration in Milan on May 17. Can you explain what this event is and its main objective ?
The aim is to give more substance to the term remigration, which was popularized by our activism in 2024, among other things. We invite influencers, politicians and activists to network and present our vision for Europe together. The message is: we network, we professionalize, we unite: remigration is inevitable.
Remigration” is a term you put forward. How would you define this concept, and what would be the first concrete steps to implement it if you had the power to do so ?
The whole thing is of course a complex issue. But there are some simple first steps.
closing the borders and systematic pushbacks for all illegals.
the creation of charter cities outside Europe for migrants.
the deportation of all illegals from Europe to their home country, or the transfer to these non-European centers.
That would be the first phase of remigration. Subsequently, the parallel societies of non-assimilated people would be targeted.
Who takes part in these summits, and above all how do you intend to convince people outside the identitarian movement that remigration is a necessary solution?
There are activists, influencers, experts and politicians. Different people, but each driving remigration in their own field. We want to make the term known and popularize it. It has to become a positive myth that tells everyone: we can still turn this thing around. We can save Europe!
This is the spark of hope that millions are waiting for!
You were at the center of the controversy surrounding the Potsdam conference in 2024, not least because of the influence of your ideas on politicians within the AfD. Today, faced with the AfD's various successes, what should their tactics be ?
The AfD must remain popular and provocative. Its biggest opponent at the moment is not the left but the “conservatives”, who pretend to be anti-migration. The AfD must expose and overcome the CDU. To do this, it needs to take a clear and sharp line, i.e. continue to propagate remigration. In contrast, the CDU is losing its voter base from betrayal to betrayal, which can be taken over by the AfD. Together with the protest and non-voters, this can result in majorities. The prerequisite for this is that the AfD does not pander to the mainstream, but challenges and changes it!
The AfD in East Germany is scoring the highest with a less ambivalent discourse than in the West. Should the AfD let Bjorn Hoecke take the lead in the next elections ?
The party itself has to decide that, I don't interfere in party personnel matters. Björn Höcke is clearly the AfD's most successful politician. At the same time, there are undeniable differences between East and West. It is not for nothing that the mainstream parties in Germany also have different strategies for East and West. The AfD cannot ignore this either.
In any case, it would be fatal to put the entire party on a “soft” western course. The West must follow the successful course of the East. But it must be implemented differently there.
What do you think of the European Union as an institution? Can it be reformed to incorporate ideas like remigration, or should it be dismantled altogether ?
A good question! I think that a reform is theoretically possible. But at the moment it looks as if the old elites are entrenching themselves in their institutions. The example of Romania is a warning shot. They switch off the democracy simulation when an election jeopardizes their positions of power.
We need European unity. Petty, outdated nationalism does us no good and ultimately harms every nation because it makes Europe weak and vulnerable.
But it may be that this alliance will have to be built in parallel to the EU, as a completely new force, if the old elites continue to hold it in scourge.
On the vorfeld, should right-wing Europeans move closer to the Americans following Trump's victory and the shifting of the overton window? What is your tactic?
We urgently need alternative networks and communication channels to the old liberal transatlanticists! A completely new force is emerging in America that is very interested in a network with identitarians in Europe. Of course, we must not be naive. America remains an alien power with its own interests. But there is an ideological consonance that is a basis for exchange. The decisive factor will be censorship-free platforms that well-meaning Americans could make available to the patriotic opposition in Europe for educational work and networking. If the X-effect spreads to other Silicon Valley companies, that would be a game changer.
What should be the link between Europe, Russia and the United States? Trump embodies a line close to our own, but is it really good news for Europe if the countries around it adopt stronger policies, even from leaders who may share your ideas ?
Europe must become sovereign. This also means that the petty, old “sovereignism” of individual nation states is not the solution in many respects. We need economic, digital and military autonomy in order to be taken seriously. The language of world politics is power, not morality. Our old, decadent elites are incapable of making Europe strong. That's why JD Vance is right for now: the first and greatest enemy is within. Remigration is the top priority. But on the way there, geopolitical sovereignty must remain a non-negotiable goal. Foreign powers and empires must have no influence on Europe. No European patriot may become dependent on them or be on their payroll! Despite all the justified enthusiasm about Trump's reforms, this must remain clear.
Russia is seen by some as a potential ally against Western liberalism, but it also has its own imperialist ambitions. Isn't it risky to move closer to it, to the point of compromising the European sovereignty you advocate ?
European sovereignty must not be relinquished under any circumstances. Any one-sided dependency must be avoided or, where it still exists, reduced.
Neither Putin nor Trump are “bad” or “good”. They simply represent the interests of their countries, which are not ours. That is why we need our own representation of interests. In terms of domestic policy, we can certainly learn a lot from other countries without idealizing the situation there. But that doesn't mean that these states automatically become allies. As the saying goes: a nation has no eternal enemies, only eternal interests. And in my opinion, it is in Europe's interests to have a relationship on an equal footing with Russia and America so that it can devote all its energy to the onslaught in the south, remigration and the renaissance of its peoples.
I'm a member of the Vox Europa team, a media organization that sees itself as an alternative voice as well as a network for the right in Europe. What do you think of our approach?
Vox europa, the voice of europe. A good approach and a good name! The creation of a European consciousness in the national camp is more important today than ever. In the coming years, foreign powers might try to drive Europe into a new 30-year war and play the nation states off against each other. We could experience sudden revivals of revanchism and legacy enmities, which in the end will only benefit foreign countries.
All Western European countries are suffering from the same disease and our Eastern European brothers are already showing the first symptoms. Multiculturalism, self-hatred, globohomo, Islamization, population exchange, censorship and self-hatred. The solution is patriotism and remigration, and that throughout Europe. Vox Europa could become a catalyst for this realization!
Thank you Martin !
Voxeuropa Herald is an initiative that shares the voices shaping Europe today: elected officials, essayists, philosophers, activists, artists and influencers. These portraits are collective responses to the crises shaking our Europe. Faced with the major upheavals of our times, Voxeuropa Herald gives a voice to those who, throughout Europe, share solutions and visions for the future. The message is clear : European realities call for European responses.
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