Why are the EPP flirting with far-right fundamentalists?

When nearly 200 million Europeans cast their ballot this weekend, they will not only have expressed a preference for a certain party, or for certain candidates. They will have made a life-shaping choice about the type of society they will live in for the years to come.

While European elections were traditionally about a choice between more conservative or progressive forces along the classical left-right divide, this has radically changed. In the upcoming elections citizens will get to choose between fundamentals; being pro or anti-democracy, being for or against freedom, being for or against solidarity, being for or against the European project of social and economic progress and shared prosperity.

Indeed, emboldened by the combined success of ultra-conservatism and Trumpism in the US, Europe’s far-right learned how to become more presentable, more effective using social media, better at pretending to represent working people, and good at using their presence in the European Parliament to undermine the European Union’s very existence from inside. 

Traditional conservatives have not remained immune to the more radical far-right discourse.

It is a denial of their very identity and history, but the idea that the party of Robert Schuman, Helmut Kohl or Simone Veil could team up with the heirs of Mussolini, Franco, and Jean-Marie Le Pen, has started to flourish. Such denial, for the sake of holding on to power at any price, has even started to gain ground among some of Europe’s liberal parties, questioning their very identity too.

Europe’s multiple and daunting challenges will not fade away during election night. Russia continues to bombard Ukraine, threatening Europe’s security and integrity. Innocent people keep dying in a war between the far-right Israeli government and the terrorist group Hamas. Democracy and the rule of law remain under attack. Climate change is getting worse. Many millions of Europeans still suffer from excessive living and housing costs, precarious working conditions, discrimination, social exclusion and poverty. Women keep fighting for effective equality and LGBTQIA+ persons remain in an ongoing struggle for rights. 

Meanwhile, the extreme right does not worry about these issues, but as always, cares only about preserving fantasised national identities, where migrants are the scapegoat, following a well-known nationalistic playbook

Faced with challenges, we cannot afford to have a weak EU incapable of acting, or to backtrack on vital policies, not least climate change or social cohesion policy. 

Europe’s destiny must be to remain a beacon of peace, a thriving democracy where the rule of law is respected. We must be a continent of freedom, of individual rights and equal opportunities, with a social market economy – a unique model which embeds social justice and progress with economic growth, so no one is left behind. We must become a global leader in climate policy. 

EU break-up?

Withdrawing from this future would push the EU into decades of democratic, social and economic decline, which would ultimately lead to our Union’s break-up and Europe’s swift fall into geo-political irrelevance. We will not let that happen. 

Instead, Europe needs to do more. It needs to do more to accelerate its decarbonisation, better protect its environment and the health of its citizens, and improve living and working conditions across urban and rural areas. It needs to more pro-actively support the transformation of industry, so we are a leading global player, built on the foundations of quality jobs, a skilled workforce and enhanced workers’ rights. This also means developing a sustainable and inclusive economy, anchored to a 'Made in Europe' approach geared towards fully-fledged strategic autonomy.

Europe needs to do more to match the massive investment gap. The social, green and digital transformation of our economy will only be a true success with an ambitious permanent investment capacity. Europe has to ensure that this comprehensive transition serves its people and its regions by connecting its green, social and regional policies in new ways and by creating strong and accessible public services all across Europe. 

Furthermore, the European Pillar of Social Rights needs to be full realised. It can and will improve people’s daily lives, for instance by ensuring affordable housing for all. With a view to achieving the EU 2030 targets for employment, skills and poverty reduction, we must also update and relaunch the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan. This is how we put Europe on the right course.

And Europe must also become more effective in protecting its democracies, from internal and external threats. This means never compromising when it comes to upholding the rule of law. And it means pursuing a common and strong defence capacity and procurement strategy to fend off physical and hybrid threats. 

This is the choice that stands in front of us. If pro-European, pro-democracy and pro-sustainable forces stand by these values, if we deliver ambitious policies to address these challenges, then the EU will have another five years to show that we can solve today’s existential crises, together. If they do not, when the next European elections are called in five years’ time, we may not have a second chance. Now more than ever, this election is a choice between two different futures.

This article was amended to clarify that Iratxe García Pérez is not the vice-president of the S&D, but president of the S&D group in the European Parliament and first vice-president of the Party of European Socialists.