Europe shifts to the right Review by Teymur Atayev

Right-wing forces across Europe are gaining momentum. In the recent local elections in the Spanish region of Andalusia, the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE), led by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, suffered the worst regional defeat in its history, winning only 28 out of 109 seats with the backing of less than 23 per cent of voters. This result is particularly striking given that the socialists had dominated the region for decades. Meanwhile, the centre-right People’s Party (PP) has been steadily strengthening its influence over the years.

Perhaps, after reviewing these figures, one may ask: what exactly lies behind the success of the right-wing parties? The answer is rather straightforward. The People’s Party secured 53 parliamentary seats, falling just two mandates short of an absolute majority. As a result, in order to form a coalition government, it may have to reach an agreement with the so-called far-right party Vox, which, notably, received less than 14 per cent of the vote — its weakest performance in Spanish regional elections in recent years. It is possible that the People’s Party will reject such an alliance. But what if it does not?

In April, Vox joined the regional government of Extremadura after concluding an agreement precisely with the People’s Party. Thus, Spain’s right-wing forces are currently very much in line with the country’s broader political trend.

This development comes amid the growing popularity of Alternative for Germany (AfD), whose approval rating has reached a previously unattainable 29 per cent. It should be recalled that in the March elections to the Rhineland-Palatinate state parliament, AfD gained around 20 per cent for the first time in its history, finishing in third place. Moreover, in the recent snap mayoral election in the town of Zehdenick, Brandenburg, the AfD candidate emerged victorious with nearly 60 per cent of the vote. Consequently, according to a sociological survey conducted by the Forsa Institute, the party’s approval rating has for the first time risen 5 percentage points above that of the ruling CDU/CSU bloc. Support for AfD stood at 27 per cent.

The growing popularity of right-wing forces is also evident in the United Kingdom. In May’s municipal elections, the ruling Labour Party suffered a crushing defeat to the right-wing Reform UK, led by Nigel Farage. He described the election results as a genuine historic shift in British politics. According to Farage, although most political observers traditionally think in terms of “left” and “right,” Reform UK proved capable of winning in regions that had been dominated for decades either by Conservatives or Labour, seizing long-held mandates from both parties within just a single day.

Moreover, Labour’s heavy defeat triggered internal discussions within the party over the possible removal of Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who nevertheless firmly rejected such a possibility. Against this backdrop, UK Health Secretary Wes Streeting publicly announced his resignation, declaring that he had lost confidence in the prime minister, further intensifying tensions within the government. As a result, an analytical article published by Bloomberg suggested that Starmer may find it increasingly difficult to retain the premiership. Yet even such a move, the article noted, would not resolve the Labour Party’s deeper structural problems.

An additional factor was the “Unite the Kingdom” protest held in London on May 16. The demonstration was organised by right-wing activist Tommy Robinson. Participants waved British flags, while some attended wearing red baseball caps bearing the slogan “Make England Great Again.” Protesters also called for the resignation of Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Several media outlets quoted Robinson as saying that one of his main objectives is to fight against what he described as the “Islamization of Britain.”

Europe’s right-wing forces are significantly strengthening their positions. However, centrists — or even centre-right parties — not to mention the left, have so far failed to provide a convincing response to these developments. At best, they have adopted certain right-wing slogans, particularly on migration, while remaining unable to propose truly substantial solutions of their own. At the same time, relentless criticism of parties such as AfD appears to be producing the opposite effect. Evidence of this can be seen in the party’s growing support in western Germany as well, whereas previously its popularity had been concentrated primarily in the eastern part of the country.

According to a number of analysts, it is precisely the loss of domestic electoral support that is forcing the leaders of countries such as Germany and Spain to become more active on the foreign policy front. Yet even there, their governments have failed to achieve even minimal success. In particular, some experts question whether it was worthwhile to wage years of sanctions pressure against Russia if, over the past month, European leaders have intensified efforts to explore the possibility of negotiations with Moscow.

It is becoming increasingly clear that centrists are finding it harder with each passing year to resist the growing strength of right-wing forces. Whether the opponents of the right will be able to take meaningful steps to prevent their further electoral advances will likely become evident in the results of the Saxony-Anhalt state elections in Germany scheduled for September 2026, as well as, for example, Spain’s 2027 general elections.