Europe’s political struggles intensify with far right surge

Rome: The recent gathering of far-right leaders and party figures from across Europe has highlighted a significant rift in the continent’s political scene.

The Patriots for Europe (PfE) summit, held earlier this month in Madrid, Spain, attracted more than 2,000 participants. It was the coalition’s first large-scale assembly after it became the third-largest political group in the European Parliament.

During the summit, representatives of far-right political parties openly promoted their anti-European Union, anti-immigration and anti-liberal elite stances, Xinhua news agency reported.

The rise of far-right political forces has significantly reshaped Europe’s political landscape in recent years.

In France, the National Rally surged from single-digit parliamentary seats in 2017 to over 120 seats in 2024, forming a three-way power balance with President Emmanuel Macron’s camp and the left-wing bloc. In December 2024, a coalition between the far-right and leftist forces toppled Prime Minister Michel Barnier’s government, leading to France’s first budgetary impasse in 45 years and exposing the fragility of the ruling alliance.

Germany is also grappling with political upheaval. The latest polls indicate that the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party maintains a support rate of 20 per cent ahead of the federal elections, surpassing the ruling Social Democratic Party and becoming the second-largest political force.

The far right’s rise is rooted in a combination of economic, social, and political crises. High inflation and energy shortages, on top of problems stemming from immigration, have been blamed for the erosion of trust in traditional parties, especially given the perceived inability of mainstream parties to address these challenges. Nationalist and anti-immigrant sentiments have witnessed growing appeal across Europe. (IANS)

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