Why is the far-right gaining popularity among young people in Europe?

The success of far-right parties in the recent European Parliamentary elections has sent shockwaves across the continent. Europe is leaning ever more towards the right, and all the implications that entails. Fueling this seismic shift in politics is an increasing number of young people, first-time voters disillusioned with established mainstream parties and seeking change.

In Germany, the far-right party Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), or Alternative for Germany, is performing well in the regional elections. They are expected to win the parliamentary elections in Germany's eastern region of Thuringia. It's the first time a far-right party is projected to win an election since 1945. The AfD is in first place with a projected 33.5%, followed by the conservative Christian Democrats party (CDU). German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democratic Party (SPD) has seen disappointing results so far, especially as these regional elections are seen as an indication of what the current government can expect in next year's general elections. AfD focuses mainly on the issue of immigration, and some branches are suspected of far-right extremism. One of the party's top candidates in Thuringia, Björn Höck, has been penalized for using Nazi slogans on two occasions.

Amongst the supporters are a surprisingly large number of young people. But how has Gen Z been persuaded to take such a radical course of action? Click through and find out more about the ascension of the right in Europe.

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2024 European Parliament elections -

The success of far-right parties in the 2024 European Parliament elections was predictable. But what did surprise pollsters was how well they did among young people.

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Europe is leaning more to the right -

The European Parliament is leaning further to the right. And if the results of the elections are anything to go by, so are a new generation of European voters.

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More right-wing seats in Brussels -

The combined vote for far-right parties across the continent secured them a fourth of the seats in Brussel—on par with the largest group, the center-right European People's party.

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The rise of the National Rally -

Voters in France dealt a massive blow to President Emmanuel Macron. Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally (RN) secured more than 30% of the vote, compared with 14.5% for the French leader's Renaissance (RE) party.

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Snap election -

The poor results prompted Emmanuel Macron to address the nation in a televised broadcast, during which he announced the dissolution of the country's parliament and called for legislative elections.

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A seismic shift in French politics -

The first round of France's high-stakes parliamentary elections took place on June 30. Marine Le Pen's National Rally scored an emphatic victory. However, following the second round, it was the leftist alliance of the New Popular Front that gained the most seats, with the centrist Ensemble and far-right National Rally not far behind. None of the parties secured an outright majority.

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Jordan Bardella -

That could see Jordan Bardella become the new prime minister of France. Seen as Le Pen's protégé, Jordan Bardella has rallied much of the country with his catchphrase "France is disappearing"—part of the National Rally's anti-immigration rhetoric. And people are listening.

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Social media is winning elections -

Bardella has 1.5 million followers on TikTok. He's often mobbed at RN events by people eager for a selfie with the 28-year-old. And he uses TikTok and other social media platforms to appeal to other young people in France.

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Gen Z is listening -

And Generation Z (the name given to the generation of people born between 1997 and 2012) is making itself heard. Ridding the continent of "technocrats" and returning it to a "Europe of nations" is the rallying cry of many.

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Voting for change -

Young people also want to see a clamping down on immigration and the erosion of "ineffective and corrupt" traditional parties, according to Euronews reports.

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Right-wing politics in Italy -

And it's not just in France where these younger voices are being heard. Across Europe, more and more twentysomethings are giving their vote to far-right or ultra-nationalist parties. In Italy, for example, Giorgia Meloni, the prime minister of Italy since October 2022, was helped into office by numerous 18-24-year-olds who enjoyed full voting rights for the first time in Italian history.

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Right-wing politics in Italy -

Prime Minister Meloni has led the right-wing Brothers of Italy political party since 2014. She's also been the president of the European Conservatives and Reformists Party since 2020. Meloni, likewise, makes a point of connecting with the younger electorate via social media.

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Right-wing politics in Germany -

In Germany, the far-right populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has a strong anti-immigration focus. It too enjoyed success in the European Parliamentary elections, capturing 16% of the vote, to place it second behind Germany's conservative Christian Democrats, which won 30% of the vote. Chancellor Olaf Scholz's governing three-party coalition trailed third.

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Right-wing politics in Germany -

For the first time, 16-year-olds in Germany were able to vote in the 2024 European Parliament elections. The AfD strategically targeted young people throughout their campaign, using mainly TikTok and Instagram to send out messages similar in theme to those streamed in France and Italy, noted DW. And all this despite a string of scandals and anti-extremism protests having dampened support in recent months. Pictured are Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla, co-leaders of the AfD.

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Right-wing politics in the Netherlands -

On November 22, 2023, Dutch voters delivered a stunning upset to the mainstream centrist parties when nationalist politician Geert Wilders, known for his outspoken views on immigration and Islam, and his far-right Party for Freedom (PVV) claimed nearly a quarter of the vote and 37 seats.

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Right-wing politics in the Netherlands -

The PVV largely won its seats on the back of socioeconomic resentment expressed by many ordinary Dutch citizens angered by a sense of unfairness amid the cost of living crisis.

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Right-wing politics in Poland -

Immigration is a major issue in Poland. The vast majority of Poles believe that immigrants take work away from Poles and that their presence is detrimental for the economy, reports The Guardian. This rhetoric feeds into the Confederation of the Crown of Poland, a monarchist far-right political party led by Grzegorz Braun. Over and above its stand on immigration, the party also advocates discrimination against minorities.

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Right-wing politics in Poland -

During a 2024 European Parliament election campaign in Krakow, the confederation's Karolina Pikula, one of the most radical Polish politicians, tore up a rainbow flag as a protest against the LGBTQ+ community. But Poland's flirtation with the right is dwindling. In December 2023, the popularist right-wing ruling Law and Justice Party lost power.

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Right-wing politics in Spain -

In Spain, Vox, a national conservative political party, has been identified as right-wing and far-right. The party's leader is Santiago Abascal, seen here with a voting card during the 2024 European Parliamentary election.

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Right-wing politics in Spain -

Vox has been wooing first-time voters in Spain since its foundation in 2013. Analysts say the party is attracting young supporters because it understands how to use social media imagery to connect with members of Gen Z. In 2023 on its Instagram and TikTok accounts, Vox mixed images of Spanish traditional country life with videos of the riots in France, blaming the uprising on illegal immigration.

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Right-wing politics in Portugal -

Spain's neighbor Portugal has also witnessed a rise in right-wing popularism. André Ventura, leader of Chega (Enough), has seen his party gain considerable support across the country since its founding in 2019.

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Right-wing politics in Portugal -

From winning one seat in the Portuguese legislative elections in 2019 to taking 50 in 2024, Chega's appeal has surged. The party had been able to tap into the Portuguese youth's frustration with quality of life issues such as the housing crisis and the lack of well-paying jobs, and anger at mainstream parties that have failed to address those challenges. Ventura is pictured in Lisbon with Marine Le Pen and Tino Chrupalla.

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Popularist politics in the UK -

The UK Independence Party (UKIP), a Eurosceptic, right-wing populist political party in the United Kingdom, was at one point led by Nigel Farage. At the 2014 European Parliamentary election, UKIP won the most seats in the United Kingdom, pressuring the then-prime minister, David Cameron, to call the 2016 EU membership referendum. After the successful referendum, Farage resigned as UKIP's leader. In 2018, he co-founded the Brexit Party to oversee the UK's departure from the bloc.

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The Brexit effect -

On June 24, 2016, the recorded result was that the UK voted to leave the European Union; 51.89% voted for Leave, 48.11% for Remain. According to YouGov, over-65s were more than twice as likely as under-25s to have voted to leave the European Union. And according to a July 2023 YouGov poll, a majority of Britons (55%) said that, were the EU referendum to take place now, they would vote to remain.

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2024 violent protests -

In the UK, the left-leaning Labour Party was voted into power for the first time in over a decade in July 2024. Despite this national signal that the citizens of Great Britain want more progressive politics, far-right factions made sure their voices weren't lost. In fact, they sent the country into panic and disorder at the end of July. Anti-immigration riots broke out in cities across the UK, with many targeting hotels housing asylum seekers. The far-right protests were triggered by misinformation following the devastating attack that took place in Southport, northern England, on July 29. A 17-year-old male entered a dance school during an event and stabbed three young children to death, leaving eight more with injuries. Anti-immigrant and anti-Islamic protests were organized among the far right as they jumped to conclusions about the motivation for the attack.

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2024 violent protests -

The protests and marches quickly escalated into rioting, looting, and violent confrontations with the police. Hotels for asylum seekers were attacked and protesters even tried to set one on fire in Rotherham. The incidents occurred in towns and cities across the UK and Northern Ireland as the police struggled to maintain control.

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Anti-far right protests in France -

Meanwhile back in France, thousands of anti-far right protesters took part in a demonstration at Place de la Republique in Paris following the French legislative election results on June 30, 2024.

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Anti-far right protests in Germany -

A day earlier, on June 29, demonstrators gathered near the Grugahalle in Essen, Germany, protesting against the party congress of the AfD.

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Anti-far right protests in Italy -

And in Rome on June 20, students, trades union members, and anti-fascists of all ages and races gathered to protest against recent episodes of violence committed by extreme right-wing militants in the Italian capital.

Sources: (The Guardian) (CNN) (The Conversation) (Al Jazeera) (Euronews) (Reuters) (The New York Times) (BBC) (Politico)