Policy Brief: Countering the Far Right in the European Parliament

Europe is shifting to the right. Across the continent, right-wing populist or even extreme right-wing parties have gained significant support in elections in a multitude of European states. This shift is not only noticeable on the national level, though, it is also influencing the EU agenda and European integration.

Most notably, experts observe a growing normalisation of the far right in the European Parliament (EP). A new policy brief in cooperation with the Foundation for European Progressive Studies examines this trend and offers a set of practical recommendations to guide progressive strategies in this evolving landscape. 

The first part defines the far right and maps its influence through three threat scenarios:

• full alignment between the European People’s Party (EPP) and all far-right groups 
• EPP cooperation with the European Conservatives and Reformists but not with other far-right groups
• cooperation between far-right groups without EPP involvement

Part 2 assesses strategic responses, drawing on national case studies and findings from the academic literature.

The authors then propose three sets of recommendations for progressive actors:

• Maintain the remaining elements of the cordon sanitaire while developing complementary approaches to address the normalisation of radical-right positions and limit their symbolic influence. 
• Strengthen cooperation among democratic, pro-European forces by building issue-based coalitions, enhancing coordination between national parties and their EP delegations, and further splitting the far right on divisive issues. 
• Reject far-right narratives on migration and instead prioritise positive, solution-oriented messaging on social and economic issues that offer credible, policy-specific alternatives capable of resonating with voters.