The European Parliament elections in June 2024, with over 400 million voters from 27 EU member states, were one of the year’s most significant political events. The results, combined with prior polls, indicate a significant rise in support for far-right and populist parties across many European countries.
These parties, grouped under parliamentary blocs such as Identity and Democracy (ID) and the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR), gained widespread support by capitalizing on public dissatisfaction with migration, economic, and environmental policies. But what are the consequences of this growth, and why are European citizens turning toward far-right parties?
Reasons for the Rise of Far-Right Parties
Polls, such as a Politico report from April 14, 2025, show that in countries like France, Italy, Austria, and the Netherlands, widespread dissatisfaction with migration and economic policies has increased support for far-right parties. For example, in France, Marine Le Pen’s National Rally secured 31.4% of the vote, more than double that of Emmanuel Macron’s Renaissance party. In Italy, Giorgia Meloni’s Brothers of Italy led with 28.8% in the September elections, and in Austria, the Freedom Party (FPÖ) won 28.9% in a historic victory.
Analysts attribute this trend to the failure of traditional parties to manage crises such as migration, inflation, and the high costs of environmental programs. Anti-immigration slogans from parties like the Netherlands’ Party for Freedom (PVV) and opposition to the EU’s Green Deal -a set of policies aimed at achieving climate neutrality by 2050- have been key tools in mobilizing dissatisfied public opinion.
Electoral Success and Parliamentary Position
In the 2024 elections, far-right and populist parties secured approximately 24% of the 720 seats in the European Parliament (about 170 seats), up from 20% in 2019. The ID and ECR groups, including parties such as France’s National Rally, Germany’s Alternative for Germany (AfD), Italy’s Brothers of Italy, and Poland’s Law and Justice (PiS), are the main drivers of this growth.
However, AfD’s expulsion from the ID group due to racist statements has reduced cohesion among far-right parties. Nevertheless, many of these parties have moderated their previous positions, such as abandoning calls to leave the EU, to attract centrist voters.
Political and Policy Consequences
The growth of these parties has influenced major EU policies, particularly in the areas of migration, the environment, and support for Ukraine. According to a Chatham House report from June 11, 2024, the ID and ECR groups oppose ambitious environmental programs like the Green Deal and demand stricter migration policies. These policies are already being implemented in countries like the Netherlands and Austria.
Some parties, such as AfD in Germany and FPÖ in Austria, hold positions close to Russia, which could negatively impact the EU’s unity in supporting Ukraine. However, centrist coalitions led by the European People’s Party (EPP) still hold the parliamentary majority, preventing complete far-right dominance.
Complementary National Elections and Their Impact on Right-Wing Growth in Europe
In addition to the European Parliament elections, the results of several national elections in 2024 further demonstrate the strengthening of right-wing movements across the continent:
- In Poland, Karol Nawrocki, a Law and Justice candidate supported by Trump, won the presidency with 50.9% of the vote. His victory over the country’s liberal prime minister has turned Poland into a battleground for two opposing discourses on issues like support for Ukraine.
- In Portugal, the far-right Chega party secured 22% of the vote, becoming the second-largest party in parliament. The center-right coalition, with 32% of seats, has the opportunity to form a government.
- In Romania, despite a liberal candidate winning the second round of the presidential election, the far-right candidate secured 46% of the vote, a sign of this movement’s growing influence.
- In the Netherlands, the PVV’s exit from the ruling coalition and Prime Minister Dick Schoof’s resignation have created a new political crisis, increasing the likelihood of early elections.
- In the UK, polls indicate that Nigel Farage’s Reform UK is ahead of Labour and the Conservatives. The current prime minister, Keir Starmer, has described this situation as a “reckless experiment.”
Exceptions Outside Europe: Canada and Australia
While right-wing movements are advancing in Europe, two major Western countries, Canada and Australia, are following a different path. In Canada, Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government, despite declining popularity, has maintained its liberal and multicultural discourse. In Australia, the Labor Party, led by Anthony Albanese since 2022, continues to pursue a relatively moderate approach to migration, the environment, and international relations.
Unlike Europe, these countries have not yet experienced a widespread far-right surge and have managed to prevent the spread of right-wing populism through democratic mechanisms and more stable political traditions. From this perspective, Canada and Australia stand out as notable exceptions in the global wave of right-wing growth.
Polarization of Europe’s Political Geography and the Gradual Rise of the Far Right
In many countries, politics has become geographically polarized:
- In Poland, the East leans toward right-wing parties, while the West supports liberals.
- In Portugal, the north supports center-right parties, while the south supports both the left and the far right.
- In Romania, cities support liberals, while rural areas back to the far right.
This polarization, combined with the steady growth of right-wing movements, has created new challenges for Europe’s political and social cohesion.
Transnational Far-Right Alliance: The Connection Between Israel and European Nationalists
In an unprecedented move, Israel’s Likud party joined the Patriots for Europe alliance as the first non-European party. This alliance, composed of far-right European parties, is known for its anti-immigration, anti-political Islam, and pro-Israel stances.
Analysts view this move as part of a transnational and ideological alliance to strengthen global right-wing movements. Although many of these parties have a history of antisemitism, Netanyahu’s government has embraced this alliance in pursuit of geopolitical interests, particularly to gain support within the EU.
CPAC and the Internationalization of the Far-Right Movement
The American Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in 2024, with events in Poland and Hungary, became a platform for strengthening the global network of right-wing movements. Held with the support of the MAGA movement, these events featured figures such as Viktor Orbán, Alice Weidel, Geert Wilders, and politicians from the US, India, Australia, and Europe.
Speakers defended concepts like the “Patriotic Era,” opposition to the “woke” movement, the Green Deal, and mass migration. Despite the display of unity, divisions were evident, including Giorgia Meloni’s absence, disagreements over Ukraine, and the failure of some MAGA allies in Albania, Romania, and Austria.
Nevertheless, CPAC Europe, particularly in Budapest, has become a hub for coordinating and legitimizing the global far-right discourse, a discourse that challenges the future of Europe’s liberal political order.
Conclusion: The Horizon of Politics in Europe and Beyond
The 2024 European Parliament elections and a series of political developments in various European countries show that a new wave of right-wing and nationalist populism is taking shape and expanding. These movements have capitalized on economic crises, dissatisfaction with migration policies, and cultural and identity concerns to achieve significant political gains.
However, within this remarkable growth, a series of paradoxes are evident. On one hand, right-wing parties are becoming institutionalized in governance structures; on the other, fragile alliances, internal disputes, and resistance from centrist and leftist forces prevent their unchallenged consolidation.
At the same time, the transnational expansion of these movements through convergence with parties in Israel, the US, and other parts of the world points to the emergence of a global ideological project, taking shape through events like CPAC and alliances like Patriots for Europe. However, Canada and Australia, as significant exceptions, show that this global trend is not uniform, and stable democratic traditions and multicultural discourses can still prevent the spread of far-right populism.
Ultimately, Europe’s future depends on the response of liberal and centrist parties to public concerns, their ability to rebuild an effective political discourse, and their resistance to destructive populism. The 2024 elections were a turning point, but not the end of the story.
While the far right in Eastern Europe has a harsher, more radical, and quasi-militant character, in Western Europe, by aligning with various identity and cultural trends, it has better succeeded in entering the mainstream of culture and politics. If the far right in Eastern Europe manifests itself in the form of nationalist conflicts, in Western Europe and the US, it emerges through “culture wars” centered around globalization, multiculturalism, migrants, racial minorities, and Muslims. The far right is not a new phenomenon; what is new, as Cynthia Miller-Idriss puts it, is the entry of these ideas into the “mainstream” of culture and politics and their growing popularity among the public.