Hierarchy — Fundamental Law of Family and Nation

Can We Do Without It?

When it comes to nationalism, family is of supreme importance. Family values are an integral element of right-wing ideologies. According to such beliefs, family is at the centre and at the centre of the family is a man. A man sits at the head of the table, for the man is the one who brings food to the table. As far as family is concerned, one sin is bigger than all. It is a sin of not obeying — of not submitting to hierarchy.

Since 2018, Croatian Football Association labels itself as a family. It only takes a quick browse through their website to realize that they emphasize family values such as community, love, trust, friendship, cooperation and respect. In the last six years, under the management of Zlatko Dalić, Croatia has had the most successful era in its young history, acquiring two world cup medals — one silver and one bronze — and another silver medal of UEFA Nations League.

In the first match of EURO 2024, Croatia lost 3–0 to Spain. Bruno Petković, a Croatian striker, after winning a penalty, took the ball himself and missed the penalty. According to Zlatko Dalić, he was not supposed to be the one to take the pen.

I hit the road to Hamburg to find out what Dalić made of the situation. I saw him at a press conference before the match against Albania and I asked him: “What hierarchy means to you, and how important is it for you that every player in your team knows his role?”

“Everything we have achieved so far is due to collectivity and hierarchy,” he said. “Surely, having quality is a paramount, but straight after quality is order and hierarchy which have always ruled the Croatian national team. For me, as a coach, that is very, very important, just like it is for the senior players. When it comes to hierarchy, we are impeccable. It is very important!”

The press conference finished. It was raining, and I went to the city center. I got drawn into the vibe of the city. Hamburg has a reputation for one of the most liberal cities in Germany. And I am not talking about politics. I am talking about people. One doesn’t need to spend much time there to figure out those people are slightly different.

Apart from the famous Hamburger SV, there is another football club in the city — St. Pauli. It is a Mecca of hard core leftists. It is a club that openly opposes right-wing ideologies and, above all, the final stage of nationalism — Nazism. Walking Reeperbahn, the most famous road in Hamburg that happens to be in the St Pauli area, you can see many alternative people, often with ‘Antifa’ or ‘FCK NSZ’ badges pinned to their caps or jackets. In my mind, being against something will never make you truly liberal and there is a big chance you will end up being just as oppressive yourself, but when it comes to gypsies, homeless, fagots and whores, they are liberal indeed. And that is the part of the left spectrum I love.

Europe has leaned to the far-right. Around a quarter of seats of the new convocation of the European Parliament are occupied by hard-right and far-right politicians. Europe is slightly rejecting the idea of globalization — quite a few countries are contracting back to within their own borders. If the idea of globalization is aborted, chances are big that nationalism is on the rise. Football and nationalism more often than not — especially in the season of national tournament — go hand in hand. By the end of the tournament, we will have known all the national flags and anthems. Those are the main symbols of a nation. Nationalism is a central ideology of the far-right.

Patriarchy, according to Encyclopedia Britannica, is a social system in which the father or a male elder has absolute authority over the family group. A man first and then whoever comes second. It doesn’t represent only hierarchy, but it also represents roles in the family — a man does what a man does, and a woman does what a woman does. By extension, Britannica says, patriarchy means one or more men exert absolute authority over the community as a whole. Back in the day, it was a king at the head of the table. Women knew their roles — most of the time. When they didn’t obey the hierarchy, they were burnt alive. They were called witches.

In the meantime, Croatia is not ruled by a king anymore (some European countries still de facto are), but there is still a strong hierarchical system in place. A prime minister comes first and then whoever comes second.

Democracy was invented as a rule of people. Therefore, the people should be at the top of the table. However, the general feeling worldwide is that politicians serve themselves and not the people. Have you noticed how political parties always unite when they are asking people to go voting? During the campaigning, they can’t agree about a single topic, but when it comes to voting, they all have the same agenda — to get as many voters as possible. Regardless of the results, they are at the head of the table. The more seats, the more authority. The more right on the spectrum a political party is, the importance of family is bigger. The ultra far-right goes as far as building walls between nations, so people who are not alike don’t mix. If people with different traditions arrive at the family, the hierarchy is endangered — for in the hierarchy, everyone knows their roles. Therefore, the nation is the most important part of the right wing ideologies. It works the same as family, but on a higher scale. That’s why nationalists most of the time don’t accept differences. They are afraid of them because they challenge the status quo.

As Nick Hayes wrote in his book The Book of Trespass (page 267):

“Family values is the internalised code of nationalism, the matrix that defines the right and the wrong sort of person within the borders.”

Now — I am not saying that family values are not beautiful per se, but it is probably the right moment to say that I am talking about this topic from the perspective of someone who was never taught the concept of family. In my family, the idea of family was simply never talked about. Noone has ever told me that family is the most important thing in the world. Perhaps that is the reason I have a problem with hierarchy. Maybe I am just conditioned not to submit to authorities. I believe all people are the same — equal. Only borders can define a certain nation. Without borders, we are equal as the next man/woman — meaning there is no hierarchy either.