The Economist – The real threat from Europe’s hard right: A fresh wave of hard-right populism is stalking Europe

THE ECONOMIST SAYS A spectre is haunting Europe: the spectre of a rising hard right. In Germany, the overtly xenophobic Alternative for Germany (afd) has surged to become the country’s second-most popular party. Its success is polarising domestic politics and it seems poised to triumph in state elections in the east next year. In Poland the ruling Law and Justice party is leading the polls ahead of a general election on October 15th, and it is being drawn further to the right by an extreme new party, Confederation.

As we explain in this week’s Briefing, there could be more grim news to come. Next year the hard right could gain more sway in elections for the European Parliament, due to be held in June. Marine Le Pen, the leader of National Rally, could win the presidential election in France in 2027. If she did, France would become the second big country to be run by the hard right, after Italy, where Giorgia Meloni and her Brothers of Italy took power last year in a coalition with the nativist League.

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