The extreme right in Europe, on the rise in 2024

2024-12-17 22:11:22, Kosova & Bota CNA

Support for far-right parties in Europe continued to rise in 2024. As VOA London correspondent Henry Ridgwell reports, analysts say the trend was driven by concerns about immigration, inflation and the war in Ukraine.

European Union parliamentary elections in June resulted in a surge in support for far-right parties in some member states, although centrist parties continue to hold power in EU institutions in Brussels.

The National Union Party, led by Marine Le Pen, won the majority of votes in France, or 31 percent of them, for the EU parliamentary elections. She made clear her ambition to gain power in France itself.

"We are ready to make changes in the country. We are ready to protect the interests of the French people and put an end to mass immigration," she said.

President Emmanuel Macron made the shocking decision to dissolve parliament and call a general election.

Left and center parties formed an alliance to block Ms Le Pen's party coming to power.

But the new government lost a vote of confidence in early December.

Marine Le Pen has her own problems as she faces a corruption trial that could damage her political ambitions.

In Germany, Europe's biggest economic powerhouse, the far-right Alternative for Germany party came second in the EU parliamentary elections, putting Chancellor Olaf Scholz's Social Democrats in third place.

"We have to worry about the vote for right-wing populist parties here and in other European countries. We must never get used to this and it must always be our mission to stem their progress," Chancellor Scholz said.

This call did not receive due attention. In September, the Alternative for Germany won the state elections for the first time in Thuringia and came second in Saxony.

Analysts said the issue of immigration was central to its success.

"Even inflation and price increases in recent years may have played a role. But I think that the issue of immigration is really the main dissatisfaction of the voters", says Guntram Wolff, Director of the "Bruegel" Institute.

The ruling coalition led by Chancellor Scholz collapsed in November and Germany will hold early elections in February.

Alternative for Germany is campaigning, promising to reduce immigration and end military support for Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression.

"We want peace in Ukraine. We don't want to send guns, tanks and missiles there," says Alice Weidel, head of the Alternative for Germany party.

In Austria, the far-right Freedom Party won 28 percent of the vote, coming out on top in September's election there. But all other parties ruled out the possibility of forming a coalition with the Freedom Party, so it was kept out of power8.

In 2025, analysts say attention will turn to political developments in France and Germany, as Europe prepares for President-elect Donald Trump's return to the White House in January./ VOA