Nearly a quarter of voters in Europe now back far-right parties
Summary
Almost 25% of voters in Europe now support far-right political parties, a rise from about 5% in 1995. Recent elections in countries like France, Germany, and the UK show significant gains for these parties, which have also become part of governments in several European nations.Key Facts
- The share of European voters backing far-right parties has increased nearly five times since the mid-1990s.
- Over 23% of voters chose far-right parties in their latest national elections, up from 10% ten years ago.
- Research involved over 150 political scientists from 31 European countries.
- Far-right support grew especially between 2023 and 2025, with large gains in France, Germany, Austria, Portugal, and the UK.
- Far-right parties are now part of ruling coalitions in Croatia, Czechia, Italy, Finland, and influence governments in Sweden and other countries.
- Some far-right parties, like the Netherlands’ Freedom party and Hungary’s Fidesz, recently lost seats but overall support continues to rise.
- Factors driving the increase include voter focus on immigration, normalization of far-right ideas, and skillful messaging by these parties.
- Far-right parties often promote a "heroes versus villains" story, emphasizing a favored past and division between "in-groups" (nationals) and "out-groups" (immigrants, elites).
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