The European elections in June 2024 saw the rise of nationalism and populism on the Old Continent. In the face of economic, social and political crises, far-right parties are gaining in popularity by advocating protectionism and euroscepticism. This rise poses major challenges to the cohesion and democratic values of the European Union.
In the last European elections in June 2024, the far right consolidated its position by sending over 180 MEPs to the European Parliament. Eurosceptic and nationalist parties gained ground in the majority of member states, notably in France and Austria.
Since the 2000s, Europe has witnessed the rapid rise of far-right parties, characterized by their populism and Euroscepticism. This trend has been particularly marked in Italy, Hungary, Poland, France and the Netherlands, where these parties have gained in popularity and often succeeded in coming to power, thus influencing the European political landscape.
The rise of the far right in Europe has been marked by a number of significant electoral breakthroughs. In Hungary, Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party, which has been in power for over a decade, consolidated its position with an overwhelming majority in the 2022 elections, winning 59% of parliamentary seats thanks to strong support from rural areas.
Portugal saw the Chega party (in French: Ça suffit) make a historic breakthrough in 2024, securing over 18% of the vote in the 2024 legislative elections. In the Netherlands, Geert Wilders‘ PVV, often dubbed the “Dutch Trump”, won 37 seats in parliament in November 2023, illustrating a continuing rise of the far right in the country.
In Poland, the Law and Justice party (PiS) came to power in 2015 and remains a central player despite a slight drop in support in the 2023 general election, while in Sweden, the Sweden Democrats became the second-largest party in terms of votes in the 2022 general election, with strong support among less-educated voters and rural areas.
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Featured photo : © Drawing by Luis Granena, published in the Financial Times
