Europe's Far Right Surge x French Elections

Elections in France

• Rassemblement National (RN), Frances far right party, has gained significant ground, representing 40% of the French electorate.
• The traditional strategy of forming a united front against the far right (known as the republican front) has weakened which has led to a more fragmented political landscape.
• Economic issues such as what is known as the triple deficit (Financial, Public and Trade), declining productivity and firms relocating to the United States are concerns for French voters and could reflect the sudden rise in right wing politics throughout the countries.
• The rise of the far-right and political fragmentation in France weaken its position in Europe. France’s influence in Brussels is expected to be affected, with a significant portion of French members in the European Parliament coming from the far-right, limiting their influence on coalition-building.

UK Sentiment to Migrants

• Those on the right usually polarize the issue of migration, sometimes exacerbating the problem for their own political whims. The right has almost always been synonymous with ideas of expelling foreign individuals alongside those of differing ethnic and religious backgrounds. Here in the UK, we are seeing some of these anti-migrant views coming to light. It will be interesting to see ow the Reform party (current champion of such beliefs) will fare in the upcoming election
• A study conducted by the National Centre for Social Research reflected that in the UK, 20% of individuals held negative views towards migrants, however over recent years attitudes towards mainly Muslims and immigrants have become slightly more favourable.
• At the same time, in the UK, a larger proportion of people believe immigration should be reduced (42%) as opposed to 29% who think otherwise.
• The study also found that 65% of people strongly support the government taking action against illegal migrants.
• Despite this, Immigration has seen to remain at a steady and balanced level across Europe, especially between 2013-2022.

The Rise of the Right throughout Europe

• The rise of the right in Europe can be traced as far back to 2022, in which Giorgia Meloni’s Brothers of Italy party, a right-wing nationalist group, won the most votes in Italy's 2022 general elections.
• The Sweden Democrats, a far-right party with anti-immigration policies, has become an influential force, participating in coalition talks and influencing national policy directions​
• The Finns Party, known for its nationalist and anti-EU stance, recently entered the government coalition after strong electoral performance​ in Finland.
• The conservative People’s Party in Spain has formed regional coalitions with the far-right Vox party, indicating a broader acceptance and collaboration with far-right elements within mainstream politics​.
• It could be said that this shift is due to voter concerns over immigration, economic instability, and dissatisfaction with the current political establishments.