Policy Brief: The vicious cycle of far-right success in Europe

Far-right parties are advancing across Europe. Their electoral successes have sparked extensive debate among progressive actors, since the speed and nature of their gains seem unprecedented. Explanations are often sought in public discontent with immigration, social status anxiety, and perceptions of cultural threat. 

Tarik Abou-Chadi argues that this is only one side of the coin, however. Instead, greater attention must be paid to the response of established parties, who, inadvertently, feed a vicious cycle that accelerates the advance of the radical right:

1. Mainstream parties react to the success of far-right parties by shifting rightward on immigration;
2. this strategic shift fails to win back voters in any meaningful way;
3. the new positions influence public opinion and normalise radical-right views;
4. observing this shift in public opinion, parties move even further right.

Read our Brussels Democracy Paper to learn more about each step and, most importantly, how to break this pattern.