The Student Room Group

The unprecedented rise of Euroscepticism and the right in Europe

The left in Europe has never been more unpopular. In every single European country, there is evidence that right-wing populist parties are gaining unprecedented support after years of condescension by the regressive left, especially among working class voters. Sadly, the idealistic generation fail to recognise this rise in right-wing populism and believe the best way to combat political apathy is to continue with their blend of neo-liberalism and post-modernism. In any case, I thought I'd show the delusional left the extent of right-wing support in Europe, especially in so-called socialist countries, so they can see that the EU is not a utopia for tolerance and multiculturalism.

The Netherlands

Netherlands.PNG

The grey line = PVV; a far-right "Eurosceptic, anti-Islam and anti-immigration political party". The green lines (D66 and CDA) and the blue line (VVD) are all centre-right political parties.

France



The Front National are a far-right Eurosceptic political party and is leading in the opinion polls if the presidential election is between Hollande (the incumbent) and Sarkozy. The UMP (a right-wing French party) are only leading in the polls when Juppe is the presumptive nominee and Hollande of the Socialists is struggling to get just 15%.

Austria



The Freedom Party of Austria were leading in the polls in the Austrian election this year and they lost by less than 100,000 votes. The Freedom Party are a far-right anti-immigration populist party. The election is going to be reheld as there was evidence of electoral fraud which means the FPO have another chance of gaining office.

Germany



The blue line is the AfD and they're the fastest growing political movement in Germany. The AfD are a right-wing, anti-immigration and they're also against the EU. The black line in the centre-right CDU.

Denmark



The gold line is the Danish People's Party which is a right-wing Eurosceptic party and they're also against immigration and the EU. The blue line is the Venstre and they're a centre-right political party who said they would be open to forming a coalition with the DPP.

Sweden



The gold line is the Sweden Democrats who are a right-wing populist party who are against the EU and immigration. The blue line is a centre-right political party.

Poland



The blue line is the newly elected Law and Justice Party who preach soft Euroscepticism and economic nationalism. The gold line is a centre-right Christian conservative party.

Italy



The gold line is the Five Star Movement who are against the European Union. The green line is the Lega Nord who are against immigration and also the EU.

Belgium



The yellow, orange and blue lines are all centre-right political parties. The fastest growing political party in the brown line who are Flemish Interest who are a Eurosceptic and anti-immigration political movement.

Greece



The blue line is a centre-right political party. The dark blue line is the Golden Dawn movement who are neo-Nazis. The red line below them are a hard Eurosceptic party.

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The point of this point was to make people aware of the current disarray and discontent that exists in Europe. If Britons think we have it bad for having the most socially progressive Conservative party in the western world and for leaving the EU, don't act as though other European countries have it any better.
When it comes down to it, humans are animals, and carnivores at that. The rise of globalism and attempts to create a border-free world prickles up our instictive territorialism. When freedom of movement possibly means culturally incompatible muslims might be everwhere, of course people are going to be unhappy.
Original post by Mathemagicien
Not true; the centre has never been more unpopular. Far left parties continue to gain support in many European countries



Your graphs show a rise in support for the far right from the centre-right, and also a rise in support for the far-left from the centre-left; you also ignore the many countries where far-left populism is so prevalent that it is becoming the norm

Here is a summary of more European countries

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/05/22/world/europe/europe-right-wing-austria-hungary.html

Notice how, even as the red (far right) grows, so too does the white (far left); it is the centre (grey) that is in decline


Whilst I accept many people are choosing to abandon traditional parties in favour of smaller parties, on both the right and the left, you cannot argue that the left has benefited as much as the right has over the past five years.

In Spain, Pademos - a left-wing socialist party - were expected to make huge gains in the Spanish elections just like week. However, they didn't even get an extra seat and the Conservatives remained in power.

In France, the PS - a left-wing socialist party - are struggling to poll higher than 15% under Hollande and the FN and the UMP are leading in every single opinion poll.

In the UK, the Green Party - a left wing socialist party - are struggling to poll higher than 5% whilst UKIP are sitting comfortably on 15-20%.

In all the examples I chose, right-wing and centre-right parties are doing relatively well in the polls, especially in the Netherlands, Poland and France. Although social democrats are still in power in Sweden and Denmark, their support is rapidly declining in favour of centre-right and right-wing alternatives.
Original post by Mathemagicien
Compared to the previous election, held just a few months ago in December 2015. But they have only existed since late 2014. So they went from 0% in 2014, to over 20% in 2016. How is this not a huge gain?



They do not remain in power; Spain is facing loads and loads of repeat elections, precisely because the conservatives have far too few seats to hold a majority.



The countries you chose are not representative of Europe. You ignore how the far-left is the new norm in Greece, for example. You ignore that the far-left narrowly beat the far-right in the last Austrian Presidential elections, when Austria is almost as far-right a country as you can get in the EU


The Austrian election is going to be reheld because they was evidence of electoral fraud. The Greens in Austria are not a far-left party, and the presidential nominee was not a member of the Green Party, rather he was backed by them.

Greece is governed by centre-left social democrats and the two biggest parties behind them are both right-wing. The third biggest party in Greece is Golden Dawn who are neo-Nazis.

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