A map of Europe showing the countries where far-right parties have gained prominence (Image: DATAWRAPPER)
European politics has seen a spectacular rise in the fortunes of far-right parties in recent years.
Six EU countries now have parties in government widely described by experts as far-right or extreme right — among them Italy, Finland, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia and the Netherlands.
Marine Le Pen’s National Rally had victory snatched from its grasp by tactical voting in France’s July parliamentary elections, allowing a left-wing coalition to win a majority of seats but not a clear majority.
Meanwhile, national elections this year in Austria and Germany could see far-right parties make even more political gains. Elections will also be held in Sweden in 2026, a country in which the far-right Sweden Democrats are the second-largest party in parliament and are supporting the center-moderate executive.
Below, Express looks at some of the rising far-right parties in Europe.
Björn Höcke is the leader of the AfD in Thuringia (Image: Getty)
GERMANY: AfD
The AfD achieved spectacular success in this month’s state elections, winning the most votes in last Sunday’s vote in the eastern state of Thuringia. They obtained 33.5%, while the center-right CDU party came in second place.
Björn Höcke, leader of the AfD in Thuringia, has demanded that his party be included in the next regional government.
He told reporters: “Whoever wants stability in Thuringia has to join the AfD.”
Höcke is a controversial figure who argues that Germany should stop being ashamed of its past and that there should not be a Holocaust memorial in Berlin.
German sociologist Andreas Kemper has also claimed that a series of articles written more than a decade ago read very much as if they were written by Höcke, despite having been published under another name. These articles argued, among other things, that World Wars I and II were started by foreign powers jealous of German “industry.”
Germany will hold national elections next year, and with its popularity growing in some eastern states, the AfD could cause another shock.
Herbert Kickl is the leader of the Freedom Party of Austria (Image: Getty)
AUSTRIA: FPÖ
AustriaThe far-right Freedom Party is riding high in the polls as the country heads into national elections on September 29.
It is currently at the top of opinion polls, with 27% of voters saying they will support the party, according to a survey published by Political.
The FPÖ is waging a campaign based primarily on immigration in an attempt to return to government.
One of their most effective slogans has been “Daheim statt Islam”, which can be translated as “Home instead of Islam”.
The party’s manifesto, titled Fortress Austria, promises mass expulsions of immigrants and is full of anti-Muslim rhetoric.
The Freedom Party has a history of power, having been part of coalition governments three times previously.
Giorgia Meloni is the leader of the Brothers of Italy party (Image: Getty)
ITALY: BROTHERS OF ITALY
Brothers of Italy is a national conservative and right-wing populist political party that is currently the country’s governing party.
It became the largest party after the 2022 Italian general election. The party is led by Giorgia Melonithe current Prime Minister of Italy.
Meloni’s victory with the largest share of votes in 2022 was described by international media, including CNN, as the rise of the “most right-wing government” in Italy since World War II.
According to Meloni, The Brothers of Italy is a mainstream conservative party. Since taking office, the Italian prime minister appears to have moved more to the center, working for example with Brussels, despite maintaining a Eurosceptic position. In the European Parliament, she sits within the ECR group, which in March expelled its MEPs from the AfD.
The Brothers of Italy advocated a “confederal Europe” of nations as opposed to a “federal Europe”. It is also in favor of Atlanticism and NATO, and supports the Ukrainian struggle against Russia.
In a recent episode of his podcast with Rory Stewart, The rest is politicsAlastair Campbell said the rise of far-right parties in Europe holds clear lessons for the UK.
He warned that politicians have very little time to implement the change they want to make.
Mr Campbell noted that all parties in Germany’s ruling coalition performed poorly in the state elections in Thuringia.
“What the German experience has shown, in my opinion, is that people are willing to give you time and space to put together a coalition and try to make the changes that you say you are going to make,” he said.
“But if you don’t deliver… I think modern politicians have very, very little time.”