Europe is showing a trend of polarization between the left and right wings, with centrist parties being squeezed.

Far-right parties, once confined to the political periphery, are gaining ground across Europe, be it at the EU level or in national politics. The latest case was in Austria, where the Freedom Party won the first-ever national parliamentary election since the end of World War II on Sunday.

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Observers say the far-right’s triumph was not so much a welcome for the populism by voters, but rather an echo of disenchantment with their current governments’ incompetence in dealing with economic and social woes. They desire for change. However, the rise of the right-wing forces consequently led to political fragmentation and posed a challenge to the governance in European countries.

SHIFT TO THE RIGHT

Traditional European political forces suffered a setback in this year’s European Parliament elections in June. Though the center-right European People’s Party and the center-left Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats maintained as the largest and second-largest group in the parliament, right-wing and far-right forces have made unprecedented wins.

In the snap French parliamentary elections held in July, despite the efforts of the left and center blocs to prevent an outright victory for the far-right National Rally through strategic alliances before the second round of voting, the French National Assembly ended up with a “three-way split” configuration. This outcome ultimately led to the resignation of French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal.

In September, Germany’s Alternative for Germany (AfD) party made big gains in the Thuringia state election — the first victory for a far-right party in Germany since World War II. Such victories also took place in the Netherlands, Sweden and Belgium.

As rising far-right forces increasingly seek greater influence over national and EU policymaking, the traditionally dominant center-left and center-right mainstream parties and coalitions have rallied their efforts to counter their rise.

Europe is showing a trend of polarization between the left and right wings, with centrist parties being squeezed, a situation that has further deepened political fragmentation and exacerbated governance challenges in many countries.

Ding Chun, director of the Center for European Studies at the Shanghai-based Fudan University, said that the rising far-right political forces were insufficient to fundamentally transform the overall EU political landscape. Still, their emergence stood to undermine and place constraints on traditional parties.

Jin Ling, deputy director of the Department for European Studies at the China Institute of International Studies, pointed out that for a long time, the main political parties in European countries have adopted a “firewall” strategy to ward off far-right forces. However, as political fragmentation in Europe has deepened, the “firewall” has gradually crumbled, Jin added.

VOTERS’ DESIRE FOR CHANGE

In recent years, European established parties have been ineffective in addressing critical challenges like the sluggish economy and rising immigration, which led to growing public dissatisfaction and mistrust in governments.

In the Netherlands, the public’s discontent has also been growing with the government’s handling of such issues as housing shortages, declining public service quality, and rising living costs. Voters handed a landslide win to the right-wing Party for Freedom in the 2023 general election, embodying their resentment and strong demand for change.

Wu Huiping, deputy director of the German Studies Center at Tongji University, said that German society has undergone significant changes in recent years, with citizens expressing dissatisfaction with domestic infrastructure, bureaucracy and international competitiveness, and disapproving of the government’s actions. As a result, more voters have cast their ballots for the AfD.

In addition, immigration has had a consistent effect on votes for the far-right. Ding said that amid the worsening refugee and immigration situation, citizens in many European countries have become generally disappointed with their governments’ policies. So when far-right parties’ campaign agendas accommodate voters’ concerns, they become highly appealing.

CHALLENGE FOR GOVERNANCE

The growing presence of far-right parties has triggered political fragmentation in many European countries. As political power becomes increasingly divided among multiple parties, factions, and interest groups, the absence of a strong governing majority becomes inevitable.

Following AfD’s gains in the regional election, Uwe Jun, professor of political science at the University of Trier, told French media outlet Les Echos that the increasing fragmentation of the German political landscape complicates the formation of coalitions, as well as their work. It then becomes difficult for a government to maintain a clear political line, which then creates discontent among voters, he added.

The prolonged delay in appointing France’s new prime minister is a direct consequence of partisan struggles. After two months of haggling, veteran politician Michel Barnier was finally named as the new prime minister. However, French political observer Clement Guillou warned that Barnier’s path to governance will be fraught with challenges as his new government will face dual pressure from both the left and the right in the National Assembly.

According to Zhao Chen, director of the European International Relations Research Office at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Europe’s political fragmentation will hinder governments from effectively implementing policy agendas due to constraints from tug-of-war among various political forces. Moreover, the success of far-right parties in elections in key European countries is prompting even centrist and left-wing governments to tighten policies on migration, hoping to retain voters.

Florian Trauner, a migration specialist at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, told the local media that the anti-immigration position that was once the exclusive domain of the far right is now contaminating center-right parties and even center-left parties like the Social Democrats in Germany.

Germany reinstated checks at all its land borders earlier this month to curb illegal immigration and address security concerns, even though the move contradicts one of the EU’s core principles. However, Oliver Lembcke, a political scientist at the University of Bochum in Germany, has warned that “if there is no political implementation, no real changes,” voters will continue to punish mainstream parties with their votes, supporting “anti-establishment” parties in subsequent elections, thus creating a “vicious cycle.”

teleSUR/ JF Source: Xinhua

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