Is Europe shifting rightward? It seems so.
Right-wing parties almost seized parliamentary power in France. The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has resulted in the emergence of many Europeans as anti-immigrants, with excessive Islamist and anti-war sentiments. This war is losing its initial appeal.
In the Netherlands, forming a government was challenging after right-wing parties won but couldn't govern alone. Dick Schoof, a center-right politician, became Prime Minister on July 2nd, with right-wing support. As PM, he represents the Netherlands in the European Council, likely pushing against liberalism.
Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orbán leads a right-wing populist and national-conservative party, influencing Central Europe. He won an ultra-conservative mandate in 2024 and, holding the rotating EU presidency, seeks peace talks with Russia, despite other countries' disapproval.
In Germany, right-wing parties have no governmental control but are gaining support with their anti-immigration and anti-war stance. Their party is under police surveillance for extremist views. It is polling second place hence is challenging the ruling Social Democrats.
Poland, once a social democracy post-communism, now sees right-wing dominance, mobilizing three-quarters of the electorate. Though not facing significant immigration backlash, the war in Ukraine boosts right-wing support. The party that garnered only 7% of votes four years ago secured 15% in 2023, showing conservatism's rise.
In Italy, Giorgia Meloni's far-right party, in power for over a year, leads the third-largest European economy with an anti-immigration and anti-war platform. Her rhetoric aligns her with Hungary's Viktor Orbán in seeking an end to the Ukraine conflict.
In Britain, the center-right Conservatives lost power on July 4th elections, after a decade in control and managing Brexit. With Labour now in charge, economic recovery is prioritized over tackling immigration and Islamism, despite their importance to voters.
For decades, political alliances kept the hard-right from power. Today, this strategy is failing as populist and nationalist parties gain strength across Europe. Six EU countries — Italy, Finland, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, and the Czech Republic — have hard-right parties in government, with many others dominating polls continent-wide.
What was once envisioned as a European superstate has fragmented into political disarray. For centuries, Europe has been divided, largely along Roman Catholic and Protestant lines. World War I was meant to end all wars, but it didn't. World War II sought to correct the aftermath of WWI.
Remarkably, Europe has enjoyed 75 years of peace, a rarity in its history, despite the so-called Cold War. Liberal ideologies have dominated European politics, successfully maintaining stability. However, this cohesion is now unraveling due to factors such as immigration, rising Islamism, and the war in Ukraine. The U.S. can exert influence, but with the potential election of right-winger Donald Trump, who has connections with European right-wing leaders, the situation in Europe may change further to the right.
