Friday

29th Mar 2024

Opinion

Europe's far-right - united in diversity?

  • Marine Le Pen. The far-right's rise at the national level is linked to its adoption of Islamophobia and anti-migration stances in lieu of outright extremism (Photo: Reuters)

Italy's Matteo Salvini is currently driving the unification of Europe's right-wing populists.

In the wake of the last European Parliament election in 2014, far-right populist parties split in three political groupings.

Read and decide

Join EUobserver today

Get the EU news that really matters

Instant access to all articles — and 20 years of archives. 14-day free trial.

... or subscribe as a group

  • Italy's Matteo Salvini, back in the day when he wanted to leave the euro (Photo: European Parliament)

The group called Europe of Nations and Freedom has contained Marine Le Pen's French National Rally, Salvini's League and Geert Wilders' Party for Freedom.

This group is now meant to expand and develop into a 'European Alliance of Peoples and Nations'. Salvini managed to attract other far-right outlets such the Alternative for Germany, the Finns Party and the Danish People's Party.

Even if Europe's far-right will gain electoral support, they are not likely to win a majority.

The European People's Party, the centre-right group of the European Parliament, is projected to keep its relative majority, followed by the Socialists & Democrats.

Salvini has also not managed to fully unite Europe's far-right. Importantly, the Hungarian Fidesz party under prime minister Viktor Orban has not (yet) switched from the mainstream conservatives.

However, this affiliation stands on shaky grounds. Fidesz' disdain for judicial independence and the EU's fundamental principles has led to its temporary suspension from the conservative party family.

Orban continues to play the 'bad boy' and seeks to bring the centre-right group closer to the emerging populist alliance. The Hungarian prime minister withdrew his support for Manfred Weber, the conservative Spitzenkandidat, for the presidency of the European Commission.

He also invited the Italian minister of interior for a visit of Hungary's anti-migrant fence built at the border with Serbia.

Regardless of the outcome of the European elections, Europe's far-right is gaining ground in European politics. They have more and more access to the European Council and Council of the EU.

Far-right parties dominate or participate in governments in Austria (at least until this weekend's revelations and collapse of the government), Hungary, Poland and Italy.

They have enhanced opportunities to block EU laws seen to contribute to a more integrated Europe. The stalemated reform of the EU's Dublin system for asylum seekers has become an ample example.

The far-right's rise at the national level is linked to its adoption of Islamophobia and anti-migration stances in lieu of outright extremism. This shift may also provide a more stable basis for the renewed right-wing alliance.

The previous reunification efforts often broke over a too cosy relationship of some members with fascist groups or extremist ideology. They now manage to better conceal these extremist fringes by systematically drawing public attention to their anti-Muslim and anti-migration messages.

A fierce anti-migration agenda helps overcoming past disputes. Great controversy has long characterised the EU debate on how to help southern European states deal with their migratory pressures.

For years, different Italian governments have pledged for more solidarity from their EU partners.

This has come to an end with Salvini. He calls for a fortification of Italy's borders to curb migration. Publicly demonstrating his disregard for the EU-level, Salvini missed all but one justice and home affairs council, which discussed the EU's reform of asylum policy.

Diverging priorities?

Italy's approach has hence become compatible with Orban and other eastern European states staunchly opposing a mandatory relocation scheme for asylum seekers.

The 'nationalists' continue to often have very different 'national interests'.

Italy's League, for instance, seeks a closer relationship with Vladimir Putin's Russia considered by some eastern European populists still as a threat to their security.

Southern populists campaign against eurozone rules and austerity, whereas those requirements don't go far enough for their northern colleagues.

However, condensed in their anti-migration rhetoric, right-wing populists do not view these diverging national interests as stumbling blocks.

Rather, they seek to overcome them by shifting the focus of the public debate and downplaying the possibilities for common European problem-solving. This creates a vicious circle.

The EU gets incapable of finding compromises and policy solutions such as on how to help border countries with incoming migration.

The right-wing populists call for drastic solutions, notably a zero-migration policy. A hermetically-sealed Europe may prove impossible in practice. Yet, if a next 'migration crisis' eventually unfolds, right-wing populists will be the ones quickly shifting the blame on the EU.

These European elections only reflect a wider shift in European politics. Europe's far-right is getting more 'united in diversity'. This is also the motto of the EU.

Contrary to what the EU strives for, however, Europe's far-right does not seek to advance common solutions but to block the EU from within.

Disclaimer

The views expressed in this opinion piece are the author's, not those of EUobserver.

Austria EU presidency seeks 'mandatory solidarity' on Dublin

EU interior ministers are meeting in Luxembourg this Friday to discuss migration. The Austrian EU presidency is hoping to reach a consensus on Dublin reforms and a concept of 'mandatory solidarity' after briefing 27 EU states bilaterally over the summer.

Orban edges closer to Salvini's anti-migrant alliance

Hungary's Orban has hinted at leaving the EPP for Italy's far-right Salvini, saying it will be difficult to remain in the centre-right political family if it allied with leftist parties after the European Parliament elections.

Don't fear the eurosceptics

Eurosceptic parties are nothing new. They also had a large presence in the first directly elected European Parliament back in 1979, when the EU was known as the European Economic Community (EEC) and consisted of only nine member states.

EU Modernisation Fund: an open door for fossil gas in Romania

Among the largest sources of financing for energy transition of central and eastern European countries, the €60bn Modernisation Fund remains far from the public eye. And perhaps that's one reason it is often used for financing fossil gas projects.

Why UK-EU defence and security deal may be difficult

Rather than assuming a pro-European Labour government in London will automatically open doors in Brussels, the Labour party needs to consider what it may be able to offer to incentivise EU leaders to factor the UK into their defence thinking.

Why UK-EU defence and security deal may be difficult

Rather than assuming a pro-European Labour government in London will automatically open doors in Brussels, the Labour party needs to consider what it may be able to offer to incentivise EU leaders to factor the UK into their defence thinking.

Column

EU's Gaza policy: boon for dictators, bad for democrats

While they woo dictators and autocrats, EU policymakers are becoming ever more estranged from the world's democrats. The real tragedy is the erosion of one of Europe's key assets: its huge reserves of soft power, writes Shada Islam.

Latest News

  1. Kenyan traders react angrily to proposed EU clothes ban
  2. Lawyer suing Frontex takes aim at 'antagonistic' judges
  3. Orban's Fidesz faces low-polling jitters ahead of EU election
  4. German bank freezes account of Jewish peace group
  5. EU Modernisation Fund: an open door for fossil gas in Romania
  6. 'Swiftly dial back' interest rates, ECB told
  7. Moscow's terror attack, security and Gaza
  8. Why UK-EU defence and security deal may be difficult

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Nordic Council of MinistersJoin the Nordic Food Systems Takeover at COP28
  2. Nordic Council of MinistersHow women and men are affected differently by climate policy
  3. Nordic Council of MinistersArtist Jessie Kleemann at Nordic pavilion during UN climate summit COP28
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersCOP28: Gathering Nordic and global experts to put food and health on the agenda
  5. Friedrich Naumann FoundationPoems of Liberty – Call for Submission “Human Rights in Inhume War”: 250€ honorary fee for selected poems
  6. World BankWorld Bank report: How to create a future where the rewards of technology benefit all levels of society?

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Georgia Ministry of Foreign AffairsThis autumn Europalia arts festival is all about GEORGIA!
  2. UNOPSFostering health system resilience in fragile and conflict-affected countries
  3. European Citizen's InitiativeThe European Commission launches the ‘ImagineEU’ competition for secondary school students in the EU.
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersThe Nordic Region is stepping up its efforts to reduce food waste
  5. UNOPSUNOPS begins works under EU-funded project to repair schools in Ukraine
  6. Georgia Ministry of Foreign AffairsGeorgia effectively prevents sanctions evasion against Russia – confirm EU, UK, USA

Join EUobserver

EU news that matters

Join us