The creeping integration of far-right parties in Europe: Where far-right parties are integrated into the EU system and where they are not

Max Becker, Johanna Flach and Nicolai von Ondarza

No 39/2025, SWP Comments from Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (SWP), German Institute for International and Security Affairs

Abstract: The European Union operates largely in accordance with the principles of consensus democracy - that is, it seeks to integrate as many parties spanning the political spectrum of its member states as possible. Amid the recent growth of far-right parties at both the national and European level, this approach has led to the increased participation of such forces in EU institutions. Analysis of key actors at the EU level shows that since no later than the 2024 European elections, representatives of far-right parties have been involved in all major EU decisions. The centres of their influence are the European Council and the Council of the EU, where they participate as leaders or partners in national governments. But they are increasingly becoming more influential in the European Parliament, which has shifted to the right and where alternative majorities are now possible. At the same time, significant differences remain between the far-right parties. Ultimately, the extent of their influence and which far-right trend predominates within the EU system depends mainly on the largest force in European politics - the European People's Party.

Keywords: European Union; European Parliament; consensus democracy; far-right parties; European Council; Council of the EU; European People's Party (EPP); European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR); Patriots for Europe (PfE); Europe of Sovereign Nations (ESN) (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:zbw:swpcom:329912

DOI: 10.18449/2025C39

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