Europe’s Radical Right Is Rising – And the EU’s Double Standards Are Fuelling the Backlash

Europe’s political establishment keeps warning younger voters about the horrors of fascism, but those warnings are losing their force. In a sharp CIDOB commentary, Francis Ghilès argues that the growing appeal of radical-right parties in France, Germany and Italy cannot simply be blamed on fading memories of the Second World War. The deeper problem, he contends, is a political system that has failed to deliver decent jobs, affordable housing and meaningful democratic choice while applying its proclaimed moral principles selectively abroad. Europe's leaders invoke the lessons of history but, in the author's view, repeatedly undermine their own credibility. The result is a generation increasingly unwilling to accept moral lectures from institutions it no longer trusts.

History is losing its political grip

For younger Europeans, fascism and communism belong to a distant past rather than personal experience.

The memory of Mussolini has not prevented Giorgia Meloni's rise in Italy, while the historical associations of France's Rassemblement National and Germany's Alternative für Deutschland have become less effective electoral barriers.

Ghilès argues that appeals to the principle of “Never Again” cannot indefinitely substitute for credible contemporary politics.

Voters are judging parties by present-day failures, not solely by their historical origins.

France's establishment has lost the argument

The Rassemblement National's growing support cannot be explained by hostility towards immigration alone.

The commentary points to successive French governments' failures to provide affordable housing, well-paid employment and effective responses to drug-related violence.

A wider narrative of national decline has gained traction, allowing the RN to present itself as an alternative to an established political class that many voters regard as ineffective.

Historical warnings about the party's origins have not resolved the problems driving dissatisfaction.

Eastern Germany exposes a deeper grievance

The AfD's strength in Saxony-Anhalt illustrates how economic and social resentment can weaken traditional political boundaries.

According to Ghilès, one-quarter of the region's inhabitants have left since German reunification. He argues that Western Germans captured many of the best jobs and investment opportunities while dismissing East German experiences and institutions.

These grievances have survived for decades.

The author sees the weakening of Germany's political firewall against the AfD as evidence that mainstream parties have failed to address this accumulated resentment.

Democracy itself has been hollowed out

Ghilès offers a more fundamental explanation for Europe's political malaise.

He argues that neoliberal economic policies have weakened democratic accountability by narrowing the choices available to voters.

In his interpretation, political leadership has deteriorated while elections increasingly appear incapable of changing major policy directions.

That creates an opening for parties promising to overturn a system that many citizens believe no longer responds to them.

Brussels' moral authority is under attack

The commentary's sharpest criticism concerns European foreign policy.

Ghilès accuses European leaders of invoking universal principles selectively, particularly when comparing their responses to Ukraine and the Palestinians.

He singles out European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, arguing that her positions illustrate a wider inconsistency in the EU's treatment of suffering and alleged violations of international law.

These are the author's political judgments, but they underpin his central argument: younger Europeans can compare official declarations with events they follow directly through digital media.

When governments appear inconsistent, historical appeals lose persuasive power.

France is searching for lost leadership

The commentary also examines the renewed fascination with Charles de Gaulle.

Ghilès notes the success of a recent French film about the former president, which had reportedly attracted more than five million viewers by late August.

He interprets this interest as evidence of public admiration for leadership associated with national independence, historical perspective and political seriousness.

The contrast with today's political class is central to his argument.

The author suggests that nostalgia for de Gaulle reflects dissatisfaction with leaders who appear unable to confront Europe's economic, social and geopolitical challenges.

The uncomfortable truth: Historical warnings cannot replace political credibility

Ghilès rejects the idea that Europe's radicalisation is primarily the consequence of younger generations forgetting the past. He argues that institutional failures, unresolved social grievances and perceived foreign-policy hypocrisy have weakened the authority of mainstream parties.

His conclusion is particularly uncomfortable for the EU: the problem may not be that young Europeans have stopped paying attention to history, but that they see governments invoking its lessons inconsistently.

If European leaders want their warnings about extremism to carry weight, they must demonstrate that their principles apply consistently and that democratic politics can still improve people's lives.