In the lead-up to the June EU elections, Europe's centrist liberal parties are increasingly adopting far-right rhetoric on issues such as mass migration, deindustrialisation, and opposition to green and net zero policies, in an effort to shore up their weakening poll numbers. This shift, which includes resistance to metropolitan social and environmental values, is seen as an attempt to counter the threat posed by Euroskeptic parties and the growing influence of the Alternative for Germany (AfD). The AfD, described as the largest pro-Russian far-right party in Europe, has moved from a fringe opposition party to a significant force in European politics, causing concern among mainstream politicians. Additionally, while Le Pen has attempted to distance her party from its far-right origins, the AfD has arguably moved in the opposite direction, further entrenching immigration as a wedge issue among right-wing European parties.
'While Le Pen has taken her party away from its far-Right origins, the AfD has arguably travelled in the opposite direction.' John Lloyd on how immigration became a wedge issue among Right-wing European parties 👇 https://t.co/cJzMq3FeS8
Since its founding in 2013, Alternative for Germany (AfD) has steadily grown from a fringe opposition party to "the largest pro-Russian far-right party in Europe," as one expert on far-right movements would describe it. https://t.co/49YEtS846m
Once dismissed as a fringe movement, the success of far-right Alternative for Germany is now causing widespread concern among mainstream politicians. https://t.co/tQz3P8S5kG
After shoring up their consensus by building a narrative against Euroskeptics, liberal parties in Europe that were once considered moderates are now making a deal with the devil: they think they can survive by coming to terms with the far right. https://t.co/E2lr9IHjec
“The reasons for the rise of the far right in Europe are the same everywhere: mass migration, deindustrialisation, opposition to green and net zero policies, resistance to metropolitan social and environmental values.” 🖊️ @EuroBriefing https://t.co/jOPP31UxjO
Europe’s centrists often claim to defend liberal values against populist threats. Yet ahead of June’s EU elections, liberals have adopted far-right talking points on everything from the climate to migration — and it’s not saving their weak poll numbers. https://t.co/E2lr9IHjec