Extreme-right parties' rising scores in recent elections in Portugal, Poland, and Romania highlight the growing influence of radical, nationalist and far-right movements in Europe over the last few years.
In Portugal, the far-right Chega (‘Enough’) formation passed the 20% mark for the first time in Sunday’s snap elections, which were won by the outgoing moderate right-wing coalition (without an absolute majority).
Chega threatens to overtake the Socialist Party as the main opposition force, according to the latest – almost definitive – results, which do not include Portugal's overseas constituencies.
Far-right advances all around
In Poland, pro-European Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski and nationalist historian Karol Nawrocki, backed by the right-wing populist Law and Justice Party, PiS, are neck-and-neck following the first round of the presidential election, with the former slightly ahead. A runoff is set for 1 June.
Romania saw sovereignist George Simion, a Donald Trump admirer, narrowly missing the presidency after the first round on 4 May, ultimately losing to Bucharest’s centrist mayor Nicusor Dan, an EU supporter.
Germany’s Alternative for Germany, AfD, doubled its share of the vote to 20.8% in February’s legislative elections, trailing the Christian Democrats, led by Friedrich Merz, who formed a coalition government with the Social Democrats, SPD, and was elected Chancellor on 6 May.
In Belgium, the far-right Vlaams Belang (VB) party increased its representation at the June 2024 elections, gaining seats both in the Flemish Parliament and at the federal level, becoming the largest opposition group in the Chamber, with 20 legislators.
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Already in power in Italy and Hungary
In the UK, the anti-immigration Reform UK party, led by Nigel Farage, captured around 14% of the vote at the July 2024 general election, won by Labour, gaining its first five MPs and making further advances in local elections in early May.
In Italy, Giorgia Meloni’s post-fascist Brothers of Italy (Fratelli d’Italia) party has led the government since October 2022, in coalition with Matteo Salvini’s far-right League and the conservative Forza Italia.
Sovereigntist Viktor Orban, Hungary’s Prime Minister since 2010, secured a fourth consecutive term in April 2022 after a commanding election win for his Fidesz party, which governs alongside the Christian Democratic People’s Party, KDNP.
Orban faces contested legislative elections in Spring 2026.
Coalition Governments Elsewhere
In the Netherlands, far-right leader Geert Wilders, whose Party for Freedom, PVV, led in the November 2023 elections, formed a coalition in May 2024 with three right-wing parties, although he stepped aside for high-ranking civil servant Dick Schoof to become Prime Minister.
In Slovakia, nationalist Robert Fico returned to power in October 2023. One of the EU’s few Kremlin-friendly leaders, his Smer-SD party formed an alliance with the centrist Hlas-SD and far-right SNS.
In Finland, the Finns Party, a far-right group that finished second in the April 2023 elections, is part of the ruling coalition led by centre-right conservative Petteri Orpo of the National Coalition Party.
Electoral successes and near-misses
In Sweden, although the far-right Sweden Democrats (SD) came second in the 2022 elections, they are not represented in government but significantly influence its decisions under conservative Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, who formed a majority bloc with their support.
Elsewhere in Europe, far-right parties came close to power but fell short. In Austria, the Freedom Party (FPÖ), originally founded by former Nazis and now led by Herbert Kickl, achieved a record win in the September 2024 elections but could not find coalition partners.
In France, a republican coalition thwarted the far-right National Rally, RN, from gaining power during the Summer 2024 elections. Despite this, under Marine Le Pen’s leadership, the RN remains the largest party in a parliament, with no clear majority.
