A week from today, voters across all 27 European Union countries will head to the polls to elect the next European Parliament. Europeans — frustrated by the handling of immigration, inflation, climate change, and the war in Ukraine — are increasingly turning to the far right, and next week is expected to be a new milestone for these extreme parties. Even more troubling, European voters appear to care less than in the past about democratic values. The following Journal of Democracy essays chronicle the far right’s rise across Europe and consider the dangers it presents in the region and beyond.
East-Central Europe: The Young and the Far-Right
Far-right parties in Europe’s newer democracies have been working hard to appeal to younger citizens, and for good reason: Young people’s shifting values make them a ripe target for the far right.
Laura JakliIn Europe, Democracy Erodes from the Right
When ordinary voters are given a choice between democracy and partisan loyalty, who will put democracy first? Frighteningly, Europe harbors a deep reservoir of authoritarian potential.
Milan W. Svolik, Elena Avramovska, Johanna Lutz, and Filip MilačićWhy the German Far Right Is Beginning to Win
For years, they were a fringe vote. Now they are broadening their agenda, tapping into voter frustration, and getting Germans to favor them once again.
Michael BröningThe Shadow of the Swedish Right
The rising, far-right Sweden Democrats keep doing better in Swedish elections. They are now the country’s second-largest party, and their influence on Swedish political life has never been greater.
Bo RothsteinItaly’s Hard Truths
The government of Giorgia Meloni, the country’s first female prime minister, is popular, scary, and competent. Her far-right party also enjoys greater democratic legitimacy than any other Italian party in a long time.
Erik JonesIlliberal Democracy and the Struggle on the Right
At present, the key struggle for the future of liberal democracy appears as if it will be unfolding among parties and thinkers on the right.
Marc F. PlattnerA Dangerous Façade
Marine Le Pen has remade her image to obscure her far-right populism. There is a real risk French voters won’t see through it.
Agneska Bloch
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