“Vanish’d”: uses of discretion in the actions of Generation Identity

How do scandalization and discretion work together in the tactical repertoire of the Identitarian movement? And perhaps more crucially, why? By mobilizing interviews with activists, observations and an analysis of the movement’s archives and press reviews, this article shows that, if Génération identitaire is known for its strategy of scandalization, it actually hides a more discreet strategy. This strategy is based on an organisational fragmentation that allows the organisation to disappear in certain situations. It is a means to manage the extreme right-wing stigma, facilitating recruitment and protecting the movement. Based on this case study, this article contributes to an understanding of what political discretion is, while shedding light on the hybridization of action repertoires in contemporary social movements.