In most of the elections that took place in these last years, one can see two clear trends. On the one hand, within a complex socioeconomic context, the frustration and discontent of the citizenry has turned into a clear punishment to those who were in power and have shown unable to yield results. On the other hand, there has been a shift towards reactionary right and far-right parties. With no doubt, the most relevant case was Donald Trump’s overwhelming victory in the late 2024 US elections. But this is not only happening in the States but all over the world. And it is especially worrying in Europe.

What is going on in Europe?

On the other side of the Atlantic, the American president finds a handful of far-right political parties that share his formula mix of authoritarianism and populism. Almost ten of them hold government positions in several countries, and some of them even won the elections. It is the case of Italy, where Giorgia Meloni became Prime Minister in 2022 with an ultra-conservative, anti-immigration, and euroskeptic project; or Austria, where the Freedom Party, founded by the former Nazi official Anton Reinthaller, won the elections last fall.

Although they did not perform as well as anticipated in the 2024 elections, extreme right parties also gained ground in European elections. Setting the focus on migration policy, they were the most voted parties in countries as relevant in the European scope as Italy—where they reached over 50% at the polls—France, Poland, Austria, or Belgium—with around a third of the total support in all of them. Over all, far-right parties increased up to 159 their number of seats—a 22% of the total amount and 22 more than in 2019—doubling the percentage of votes they had 15 years ago. It seems obvious they are here to stay.

A threat to the world as we know it

Within the European context, there was an unwritten agreement amongst all the so-called democratic parties to somehow isolate these extremist movements. A cordon sanitaire that was broken by the President of the European Commission, Ursula Von der Leyen, who, after being re-elected in 2024, ushered in the possibility of reaching an agreement with some of these groups in order to secure her majority. A statement that unveils a growing tendency of—especially right-wing parties—normalization of ultraright parties in both national and supranational level.

These mainstream traditional conservative parties, supposedly less reactionary, are adopting part of the rhetoric and legitimizing the ideas of the far-right parties, which now control the agenda. And their focus is clear: they are against immigration, against climate action, and skeptical about the usefulness of the European Union, becoming a threat not only to European integration, human, socio-political, and environmental rights, but also to stability and democracy. Their victories deeply affect the European project and its core values of human dignity, freedom, equality, and rule of law.

Tracing the surge: causes and responses

Far-right parties have always existed, but in recent decades they have never been as powerful as they are right now. So which is their key to success? In the European case, some scholars argue that their catapult has been a mix between the global financial crises of the late 2000s and the border crises after the spike of the arrival of asylum seekers of the last 10 years. And to me, this can be part of it. But the explanation is simpler than that: they have filled a gap. In a complex context of permanent crises, seeing the inability of established parties and governments to manage issues such as inflation or migration, they have given simple answers to the electorate's preoccupations.

They have been able to get to those who were impermeable to the illiberal (note the “i” at the beginning) narrative. And they did it with very unethical but at the same time very effective manners. Playing with the fear of the people, creating false enemies, and promoting fake news. It is paradoxical that, in a world where information is more accessible than ever, the cost of the truth is also higher than it has ever been.

Progressive and liberal parties have definitely failed. But for this very same reason, they must be the key to reversing the current situation. They must go to a period of self-criticism and reflection and take a step forward. They should regain the trust of the people that once trusted them. And to do it, they should be more grass-roots-oriented than ever, as this is done within the institutions but mainly outside them. They have to talk about the real needs of the citizens and offer actual, tangible solutions. They must reveal that these “magic” solutions offered by the far-right options are not the change at all. Only those who defend the public good, social justice, human rights, and freedoms have the tools and the capacity to make this planet a better place to live in.

The reactionary wave seems unstoppable, but it is not. We all have the responsibility to avoid it destroying decades of social conquests. Challenging years are ahead, where we will have to fight for things we once took for granted. But there is light at the end of the tunnel, and we all have a role to play.