Kenneth Glad
Across many countries, older political loyalties are weakening as anti-establishment parties gain ground. The change is visible in elections, coalition talks and debates over national direction.
Support for far-right parties in Europe has reached more than 23%, according to PopuList findings cited by The Guardian, marking the highest level recorded by the project across 31 countries.
The figures show a long climb. In 1995, the share was about 5%. A decade ago, it was roughly 10%. Anti-establishment parties now attract nearly 30% of voters overall.
Government formation now looks different
The numbers matter because these parties are no longer fringe competitors in their respective countries.
Their vote shares can decide whether governments are formed, who joins coalitions and how sharply mainstream rivals speak on immigration, borders and national identity.
In France, National Rally reached 37% and became the largest single party in parliament. Austria’s Freedom Party climbed to 29%, while Portugal’s Chega rose to 18%.
Germany’s Alternative für Deutschland doubled its result to 21% in 2025 and finished second.
In the UK, Reform UK increased from 2% as the Brexit Party in 2019 to 14% in 2024. The Guardian writes that Reform has previously rejected the far-right label.
Defeats have not reversed momentum
The advance has not been uniform. Geert Wilders’ Freedom Party lost ground in the Netherlands, and Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz was defeated by a centre-right challenger in Hungary.
Even so, the findings show the wider European direction is still upward.
Far-right populist parties are in governing coalitions in Croatia, Czechia, Italy and Finland, and they support Sweden’s right-wing minority government.
Matthijs Rooduijn, a University of Amsterdam political scientist who led the research, said the shift has been developing for decades. He also linked the parties’ wider acceptance to repeated electoral success and stronger political messaging.
Legal fights follow political labels
PopuList classifies far-right parties mainly through nativism and authoritarianism. That covers politics focused on native identity, hostility toward perceived outsiders, strict authority and hardline law-and-order positions.
Some parties have fought those labels in court.
In France, a top court rejected National Rally’s challenge to being described as “far right,” saying the label was justified by its ideology, rhetoric and political platform.
In Germany, courts have upheld AfD’s classification as a “suspected right-wing extremist” case while further review continues.
In Belgium, Vlaams Blok’s challenge failed after courts upheld a ruling tied to racism claims, leading the party to relaunch as Vlaams Belang.
The database now lists 133 far-right parties in Europe, compared with 112 in 2003. Most are also classified as populist.
Researchers warn that the issue reaches beyond voting patterns. Rooduijn told The Guardian:
“That matters. The experience of countries such as Hungary, Poland and the US shows that when far-right populists gain power, democracy itself can come under pressure.”
For European governments, the next test is whether institutions built around compromise can withstand a more fragmented electoral map.
Sources: The Guardian, Populist
