Support for far-right political parties in Europe has doubled in the last decade, with nearly one in four voters now backing such parties in their countries' most recent national elections, according to a study by the PopuList Project. The research, led by scholars at the University of Amsterdam, found that over 23 percent of European voters cast ballots for a far-right party.
This figure represents a substantial increase from 10 years prior, when the support was around 13 percent, and a notable rise from approximately 5 percent in 1995. The trend showed a particularly sharp increase in support between 2023 and 2025. Far-right parties have achieved notable successes across the continent. In France, Marine Le Pen's National Rally saw gains in municipal elections earlier this year. Alternative for Germany (AfD) is also performing strongly in opinion polls. The Czech Republic's prime minister, Andrej Babiš, an ally of Hungarian leader Viktor Orbán, returned to power last year. In Austria, the far-right Freedom Party surged from 16 percent to 29 percent in 2024 elections, while Portugal's Chega party grew from 7 percent to 18 percent.
Far-right populist parties are currently involved in governing coalitions in Croatia, the Czech Republic, Italy, and Finland. They also back a right-wing minority government in Sweden and have led in polls in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, according to the analysis.
However, the surge has not been uniform, with some parties experiencing setbacks. In the Netherlands, Geert Wilders' PVV lost nearly a third of its seats and finished second in elections last year. In Hungary, Viktor Orbán's Fidesz party lost to a center-right challenger in April.
Matthijs Rooduijn, a political scientist at the University of Amsterdam and part of the PopuList survey team, cited several factors contributing to the rise. He noted that while attitudes towards core far-right issues like immigration have not drastically changed, these issues have become far more significant in voters' decision-making. Rooduijn also stated that far-right parties have become more mainstream, successfully crafting a "heroes versus villains" narrative.
far-right leader Marine Le Pen waves to the crowd | caption=French far-right leader Marine Le Pen waves to the crowd during a rally.
"The bigger and more successful they get, the more 'normal' they become," Rooduijn explained. "That's helped by the media, and by mainstream parties embracing their ideas." He added that these parties have honed their messaging, focusing on an "in-group and an out-group – the nation versus immigrants, judges, 'woke elites,' whoever." This narrative, tied to an idealized past, has become more effectively articulated, stirring emotions such as anger, contempt, pride, and hope through professionalized communication strategies.