“Ich bin Europa”: Der Diskurs um Rechtspopulismus, Migration und nachnationale Identität in Falk Richters 'FEAR' und 'Safe Places'

The article analyses the representation of Europe in Falk Richter’s plays 'FEAR' (2015) and 'Safe Places' (2016), which were written in response to two recent EU crises, namely the rise of far-right populism following Angela Merkel’s 'Willkommenskultur' towards Syrian refugees, and the Brexit referendum. Richter stages Europe as a white woman, vulnerable and yet ruthless, full of contradictions, torn apart by the politics of her own member states. It is this fragility and disunity that allows neofascist politicians (whom the author calls the “zombies”) to raise their voice and gain more and more popular consensus. With postdramatic techniques and a disruptive, agitprop style, Richter draws on the tradition of political theatre to promote the idea of a united and inclusive Europe as the only possible antidote to stop far-right populism and guarantee a democratic and pacific future for the continent.