Continental Europe is shifting to the right, a trend that journalists and commentators have anxiously predicted for years, not just after this week’s European elections.
Parties that had already made political waves last year, such as Alternative for Germany (AfD), Poland’s Union and Geert Wilder’s Dutch Party for Freedom, were gaining momentum both locally and nationally. Even in Portugal, the Cega party made a surprising surge, winning 18% of the national vote a few months ago.
The so-called far-right won elections in Italy, Austria and the Netherlands (though the Dutch far-right narrowly missed out in the European elections), not to mention France, where Macron called surprise general elections after a crushing defeat at the hands of Le Pen’s far-right Rally National. Belgium’s far-right party Vlaams Verang and the nationalist party N-VA (New Flemish Union) also won significant votes.
What is causing all this?
First, before we can answer that question, we must acknowledge the complexity of Europe and the politics within it. For example, while populism and nationalism may motivate a core group of far-right supporters in Poland in other countries, their causes are less clear.
In France, social media usage is on the rise, particularly among teenagers, and it’s being used to reach an entirely new generation of voters. According to Politico, “TikTok has become a key battleground for the next generation of voters.”
Today, voters are neither looking for leadership nor inspiration; they want nothing more than to be entertained. We are no longer a generation of voters, but a generation of viewers. Television debates are dominated by superficial ad hominem attacks, not data or debate on the issues at hand. Other right-wing voters may be driven by economic discontent. “Chega” means “enough” in Portuguese.
Or perhaps fear of the “other” and the unknown is driving this shift, as has been historically linked to the rise of the political right. It is often said that Europe should not be siloed, with groups isolated from each other; instead, it needs to balance cultural identity with contributions to the wider society. In short, this trend to the right, while appealing, cannot be generalized.
There is a growing attitude of hostility towards difference and intolerance towards others, which is extremely worrying. Far-right parties across the continent have used issues such as security and immigration in one form or another to gain voter support. Some of these parties have dark histories, such as links to the Holocaust or deep-rooted anti-Semitism, and an uncertain future.
But we should not fight this change by insisting on a broad and blind embrace of all, nor should we unceremoniously condemn those who fear for the future or groups who genuinely wish harm upon the West. There are countries and peoples who are fixated on destruction and harm. Part of the right-wing message is true.
Divisions over Gaza war
From Italy to Poland, Germany to Denmark, political divisions exist over the Israel-Gaza war, and any analysis or predictions about the future of European politics depend on these divisions.
It is extremely deplorable that such ambivalence and open opposition to Israel continues as a perverse media and political hate campaign against the only democracy in the Middle East and the only Jewish state in the world that is trying to dismantle a terrorist state along its borders.
This criticism is fueled by a subtle mix of lies and bitter ideology from both the right and the left, religious and secular. As Chief Rabbi Pinchas Goldschmidt, president of the Council of European Rabbis, recently wrote in a Politico opinion piece, “There are no good options for Jews voting in Europe. The European right is drifting toward the far right, and it is also disturbing that many of Europe’s left-wing parties and politicians today are silent about the growth of anti-Semitism and Islamic extremism, and seek to weaken and isolate Israel.”
Europe will have to navigate the complex politics of balancing these security concerns, wisely vetting who is granted asylum and where funds flow, while recognizing that we need to build a new world built not on TikTok clips and heavy-handed manifestos, but on respect for humanity and our inherent respect for one another.
But with this complexity we must learn when we are confronting evil, whether it be Hamas and its terrorist state, or any other organization that seeks to undermine everything the West stands for. If we watch carefully, we can stand and remain afloat this week and beyond, despite the frightening winds and rising tides that will blow from the right and from any other direction.
The author is a senior communications consultant based in the UK, advising a wide range of multinational organisations in both the public and private sectors.
