The Unstoppable Far Right?

Since 2010, the crises in the euro area had put European affairs at the forefront of national political debates. As a first step to improve the functioning of the European Monetary Union, there had been a gradual deepening of integration through financial rescue mechanisms and increased economic and fiscal policy coordination. This had led to a broad discussion featuring both advocates of a more integrated Europe and proponents of a re-nationalization of key policy areas. Commentators frequently considered these debates as triggers for the rise of right-populist support in recent years (e.g. the United Kingdom Independence Party in Great Britain). However, some right-populist parties actually lost voter support in the 2014 European elections (e.g. the Partij voor de Vrijheid in the Netherlands), which therefore challenged these assumptions. These facts rose the question how the electoral gaines and losses of right-populist parties could actually be explained. A cross-country analysis including Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom (U.K.), and Sweden specifically demonstrates that right-populists could only increase their share of votes if moderate political actors had already legitimized populist campaign topics. This policy paper offered suggestions for pro-European parties when facing popular euroskeptic parties in their countries.