‘Left-Liberal’ Intransigence Provides Opportunities for European Right-Wing Parties

Right-wing parties have gained significant presence in several European countries and have now seats in state assemblies, national parliaments, and the European Parliament, where they have united into a single parliamentary bloc. These right-wing parties share similar rhetoric and themes that are central to their election campaigns, leading to their prominent position in many influential European nations. In France, the National Rally achieved significant results, as did the Freedom Party in the Netherlands, Brothers of Italy, Alternative for Germany, and most recently, the Freedom Party in Austria, which secured 29.2% of the vote in the last elections. This party is now exploring the possibility of forming coalitions to create a government and begin implementing its electoral program and the promises made to its voters.

The rise of right-wing parties is attributed to significant changes in Europe, stemming from increasing social and economic problems and a decline in the standard of living for middle-class citizens, alongside the rising number of immigrants and the challenges that arise from accommodating and integrating them into European societies. There is also a crisis of national identity and fears of neglecting local identities and cultures in favor of immigrant minorities. This is in addition to the economic crisis resulting from the coronavirus pandemic and the criticisms directed at governments regarding their handling of the situation, as well as the war in Ukraine, where European governments have failed to find a diplomatic solution, and have instead provided billions of dollars to Kyiv for weapon purchases, not to mention the tensions with Russia, the expansion of NATO by including Sweden and Finland, the rebuilding and rehabilitation of armies, and the increase in military spending.

The Freedom Party in Austria

The Freedom Party in Austria achieved 29.2% in the elections held on September 29, an increase of 13 points compared to the 2019 elections. The party adopted slogans similar to those of other right-wing parties in Europe, such as combating illegal immigration, mass deportations of illegal immigrants, building refugee shelters outside Europe, and defending Austrian national identity and culture against “alien cultures and beliefs.” The party also opposes European sanctions against Russia, supports the opening of energy import lines from Moscow, and calls for an end to military support for Ukraine while seeking political solutions to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Party leader Herbert Kickl views both the Hungarian and Slovak models for dealing with illegal migrants and the war in Ukraine from the perspective of refusing to shelter and provide assistance to refugees and stopping to fund Kyiv with arms and financial support. Kickl pledges to build an alliance between Austria, Hungary, and Slovakia aimed at preventing migrants from entering the European Union, blocking all European decisions to continue providing military and financial support for the Ukrainian government, increasing pressure for a political resolution to the conflict, and resuming the import of cheap Russian gas to resolve the energy crisis in Austria and Europe, thus saving a significant portion of the industry.

The Freedom Party is exploring the possibility of forming a coalition government with the conservative People’s Party, which won 26.3% (down 11.2% from the 2019 elections). However, Karl Nehammer, the leader of the People’s Party, refuses to form a coalition with the Freedom Party as long as Kickl is its leader and its candidate for the position of Chancellor. The Freedom Party is committed to

Kickl’s leadership and fears that abandoning him would lead to a decline in its popularity. The party recalls the instance when former Freedom Party leader Jörg Haider stepped down as chancellor after winning the 1999 elections. This decision eventually led to a downturn in the party’s popularity and disenchantment among a large portion of its supporters.

The People’s Party has stuck to its conservative rhetoric without yielding to the socialist parties with which it formed a coalition.

Analyses about the 13% rise of the Freedom Party since the 2019 elections, versus the 11.2% decline of the ruling conservative People’s Party, center on the latter’s failure to fulfill its promises to improve economic conditions and prevent illegal immigration. The People’s Party has stuck to its conservative rhetoric without yielding to the socialist parties with which it formed a coalition. Meanwhile, the right-wing Freedom Party has continued to adhere to its program, using social media to highlight deteriorating economic conditions and declining living standards for Austrian citizens, while the government is perceived to be overly generous to immigrants. The party also focused on the cultural identity of the Austrian people, and the need to preserve it through adherence to national traditions, holidays, and festivals, describing the pluralistic society promoted by socialist, green, and left parties as “a dangerous project intended to empower foreign cultures and replace the Austrian national culture and identity.” The war in Ukraine also played a major role in the decline of the ruling party and the rise of the Freedom Party, which has persistently opposed providing arms and funding to the Ukrainian government, advocating instead for a political solution to the crisis and the resumption of relations with Russia to secure affordable energy.

Alternative party in Germany

The local elections in the German state of Brandenburg, which took place on September 22, returned the following results:

• Alternative for Germany (AfD): 29.2%
• Social Democratic Party (SPD): 30.9%
• Sahra Wagenknecht’s coalition: 13.5%
• Christian Democratic Union (CDU): 12.1%
• Left Party: 3%
• Greens: 4.1%

With this result, the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) has solidified its majority in the five eastern German states. The AfD achieved the following results in the local elections held on June 9: Mecklenburg-Vorpommern 25.6%, Saxony-Anhalt 28.1%, and in the elections held on September 1 in Saxony, it received 30.6%, and in Thuringia, 32.8%. Now, the AfD is preparing for the general elections for the German parliament, which will take place at the end of September 2025. It continues to rely on social media to promote its traditional discourse calling for the rejection of illegal immigrants, the deportation of refugees whose asylum applications have been rejected, the preservation of German identity, and freedom from European constraints—what it refers to as the “Brussels dictatorship.” Furthermore, the party seeks the lifting of sanctions against Russia and an end to arms exports to Ukraine. These demands have helped the right-wing party attract votes, particularly among young voters (see: “The Alternative for Germany and Changing the Rules of Democracy in Eastern Germany,” Kurdish Center for Studies, September 20, 2024).

Despite the favorable results achieved by the AfD in the five eastern German states, the united front of traditional parties against it will prevent the AfD from participating in local government or assuming the position of state governor. The AfD is trying to leverage this hostile stance to its advantage by portraying itself as a “victim” and highlighting the “anti-democratic” actions of traditional parties, which they claim disregard the will of the voters who chose them. The traditional parties are accused of abandoning their programs and promises, opting instead to form alliances with each other—despite deep-seated differences—out of a desire to prevent the AfD from expanding and gaining power. This coalition is also motivated by a wish to retain authority, even at the expense of deceiving constituents who voted for them based on promises of change and a break from their political rivals (especially the Christian Democratic Union).

Social media is full of comments from voters of traditional parties who criticize this “alliance at any cost” approach solely aimed at preventing the AfD from governing. These voters accuse their parties of abandoning their platforms and promises in the pursuit of power and the associated benefits, often at the expense of the people’s interests.

Although some traditional parties that lost most of their seats in Eastern Germany have begun to review their policies, most notably the Green Party, whose leadership and executive committee have resigned (along with the party’s youth committee), these parties continue to adhere to their usual policies regarding important issues that the public considers vital. These include rising numbers of migrants, incidents of terrorism and stabbings, declining living standards, and the repercussions of the war in Ukraine. Politicians and the official media are accused of obscuring these pressing issues in favor of marginal topics, such as climate change, gender issues, and a pluralistic society.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz accused voters in eastern Germany of harboring unjustified right-wing sentiments and acting irresponsibly by electing the Alternative for Germany (AfD).

Supporters of the Alternative for Germany (AfD), as well as a significant portion of the supporters of conservative parties, believe that the emphasis of politics and the media on these marginal issues and their submission to the will of the socialists, greens, and left parties are contributing factors to the deteriorating economic conditions, the increasing number of migrants, and the growing prominence of the AfD. They reject the justifications offered by traditional parties and their evasion of responsibility, asserting that new voters for the AfD are merely part of an angry and disillusioned bloc that previously voted for traditional parties but decided to leave them in favor of their opponent as a form of punishment for their ongoing failure to fulfill urgent promises.

In a speech marking German Unity Day on October 3, Chancellor Olaf Scholz accused voters in eastern Germany of harboring unjustified right-wing sentiments and acting irresponsibly by electing the Alternative for Germany (AfD). This superficial analysis of the current reality will only lead to increased anger and outrage, contributing to further support for the AfD and causing the chancellor’s party, the Social Democrats, to lose more votes. Meanwhile, 37 members of the German parliament from various parties have initiated a joint request to the Federal Constitutional Court to ban the AfD. There are also indications that the ruling coalition—which currently enjoys only 27 percent support—is using state institutions, such as the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), the domestic intelligence agency, to monitor the AfD and gather evidence for a possible ban. The AfD continues to frame all these developments as a “conspiracy by traditional parties” against it, claiming that state resources are being weaponized against it while these parties maintain the very policies that have contributed to the deterioration of the country’s economic, social, and political conditions.

The prevailing opinion is that effectively countering the Alternative for Germany Party (AfD) begins with addressing the issues on which it relies in its mobilizing electoral discourse. This includes reducing the number of refugees and illegal immigrants entering Germany, deporting approximately 300,000 refugees whose asylum applications have been rejected, pursuing a flexible policy toward Russia while rejecting escalation, protecting national culture and identity, combating Islamic extremism and its manifestations by categorizing them as “threats” rather than “diversity,” stopping considering political Islamist organizations as “partners of the state in the process of integrating Muslims,” and giving more space in the media to topics that concern ordinary citizens who engage in them on social media platforms. Social media has become their only outlet, as traditional parties control the official media and impose a sort of blackout on certain issues, such as “crimes of extremists,” and accusing anyone who talks about “culture and national identity” of being affiliated with the extreme right!