Soul mates of the progressives: The specter of the right is circling Europe

The German Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitutional Order (BfV) announced at the beginning of May Alternative for Germany (AfD) for a "proven right-wing extreme" party. AfD is fighting against it with legal means. Therefore, the Office temporarily put that classification on hold, but he still stands by his assessment. However, that classification has reignited the debate over the banning of the AfD.

What is the situation with similar parties in other European countries? Bans are not mentioned anywhere. On the contrary, in some countries such parties take part in the government or are even at the head of the government, writes Deutsche Welle.

Austria: Freedom Party of Austria

Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker of the conservative Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) does not consider Herbert Kikl's Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) to be an extreme right-wing party and knows of no "firewall" against that party - a term often used in Germany when talking about the attitude of other parties to the AfD.

Such a situation in Austria is not surprising, given that the ÖVP has already been in a coalition government with the FPÖ twice, the first time in 2000. At the time, it caused a scandal in the European Union, and the other member states reduced contacts with the Viennese government to a minimum for several months.

The FPÖ is a relatively old party in Austrian parliamentary history. It was founded in 1955 by former Nazis, but later changed moderately. Like the AfD, the FPÖ is against foreign immigration, globalization and criticizes the EU. Perhaps because it participated in the government several times, the FPÖ presents itself today as a party ready to compromise, and less ideological.

In the last parliamentary elections, it became the strongest force for the first time. However, she did not manage to form a coalition with the ÖVP again. According to current polls, she is now even more convincing in the leadership than in the elections.

France: National Rally

The National Gathering (Rassemblement National, RN) has come a long way since its foundation in 1972. Marine Le Pen, daughter of party founder Jean-Marie Le Pen, renamed the National Front (Front National) and somewhat moved the party towards the political center. Thus, her party continues to criticize immigration and Islam, but has moved away from anti-Semitism. That turn brought her new voters. Le Pen ran three times in the presidential elections - and although she lost in the second round each time, she constantly increased the number of votes won.

For now, the conviction for embezzlement of public funds excludes Marine Le Pen from running in elections for the next five years. If she could still run again, or if party president Jordan Bardella would run, according to polls, there is a good chance that she would win, perhaps in the first round. In the 2024 parliamentary elections, the RN has already become the strongest force.

The RN's propensity for protectionism and statism, that is, believing in the state as someone who is in charge of solving problems, is a very French characteristic - and this is where the difference with the German AfD can be seen. And Marine Le Pen distanced herself from the AfD anyway – allegedly, the German party is too radical for her. However, it could also be just a tactical move on the internal level to make her look more serious.

Italy: Brothers of Italy

At the head of the Fratelli d'Italia party, which is a paradox, is a woman: Đorđa Meloni – probably the most successful prime minister of the radical right in Europe. Many members of her party still have a positive view of Fascism, the Italian version of Nazism. Giorgia Meloni once stated that she has a "relaxed attitude towards fascism", and she called the former fascist leader and Hitler's ally, Benito Mussolini, "a good politician".

In the 2022 election campaign, which brought her party to power, the slogan was: “God, family and homeland.” Meloni and her party are particularly radical right-wing on social issues: they attack abortion, homosexuals and LGBTQ people, and of course migrants.

But unlike many similar politicians in Europe, Meloni clearly takes a stand against Russia in the war against Ukraine. This is precisely why she stated that there are "irreconcilable differences" between her and the AfD. At the same time, Meloni maintains close relations with US President Donald Trump, so she is appreciated in Brussels as a transatlantic mediator.

Sweden: Sweden Democrats

The roots of the Sweden Democrats (Sverigedemokraterna) lie in the far-right movement "Let Sweden Remain Swedish" (Bevara Sverige Svenskt). Just before the turn of the new millennium, the party tried to distance itself from its old surroundings and act more moderately. Today's party president, Jimmy Akesson, continued in that direction, so the Sweden Democrats became the second strongest force in the parliament in the 2022 elections. Since then, they have supported the minority government of conservative Prime Minister Ulf Kristerson.

Their main topic - as in many other countries - is immigration. The widespread criminal activity of gangs in large Swedish cities, in which a large percentage of people with migrant origins, brought them great success in the elections. It is unusual for a party of such an orientation that today they support environmental protection and the fight against climate change.

Netherlands: Party for Freedom

After the parliamentary elections in 2023, the Party for Freedom (Partij voor de Vrijheid, PVV) of Geert Wilders became the strongest force and leads a coalition government with three other parties. Given that Wilders' views were too radical for the partners, Dick Schoff, who is not a member of any party, was appointed prime minister. The PVV is unique in that Wilders is its only member - both MPs and ministers are officially just supporters of the party. Wilders can thus determine the party program and nominate candidates in the elections.

The main theme of the PVV is the fight against immigration, and especially against Islam. Wilders goes too far - he wants to ban the Koran and the construction of new mosques. However, just before the last election, he declared that he would "put his views on Islam on ice" so that he could rule. Otherwise, he opposes climate protection measures and strongly criticizes the EU, which he perceives as "too intrusive".

Great Britain: Reform Party

The Reform UK Party has undergone several transformations: it was created as a separate part of the UK Independence Party (UKIP), whose main goal was Brexit, the exit of Great Britain from the European Union. After achieving that goal, it was renamed the Brexit Party, and then the Reform Party of the United Kingdom. Nigel Farage played a key role in everything - the nightmare of the British political elite.

Today, the party primarily advocates a drastic reduction in the number of immigrants - and thus puts pressure on the ruling Labor Party, but also on the Conservatives. Farage accuses both parties of inefficiency on the subject.

And with success: Labor Prime Minister Keir Starmer recently promised to sharply cut both illegal and labor immigration - just days after the Reform Party's strong results in local elections. According to the latest polls, the reformists are even slightly ahead of Labor and the Conservatives. Britain's official goal of being climate neutral has been called "absurd" by the deputy leader of the Reform Party, Richard Tice.