Brussels under attack: will traditional parties be able to stop the far-right wave (continued)

Last time IA “FACT” wrote about the plan of the far-right alliance “Patriots for Europe”, led by Viktor Orbán and Marine Le Pen, to hold rally in Madrid under the slogan “Make Europe Great Again”, openly imitating Trump’s MAGA rhetoric. Created after the 2024 elections, this party united 87 MEPs and became the third largest group in the European Parliament.

The right declares its desire to weaken the influence of Brussels, strengthen national sovereignty and tough anti-immigration policies. With the growing popularity of the far-right in France, Austria and the Czech Republic, the political balance in the EU may change significantly, which will affect and on European support for Ukraine.

How “Patriots for Europe” become European Trumpists

The right-wing alliance “Patriots for Europe” is not just a coalition of nationalist parties. It is part of a global movement challenging traditional Western politics. Trump’s ideas, anti-globalism, isolationism and the fight against the liberal order – all this is reflected in their rhetoric. They want to return Europe to its “greatness”, as Trump seeks to return it to America. But does this mean that the far right on two continents are moving in unison?

If the USA has Trump, then Orbán can be considered his ideological double in Europe. The Hungarian prime minister has repeatedly called Trump “the true leader of the West” and has openly supported his policies on migration and globalization. Orbán even flew to the US to meet with Trump, stressing that Europe should learn from America’s example.

So is Marine Le Pen does not hide sympathy to Trumpism. Her National Unity party promotes the same messages as the American Republicans: protecting national identity, limiting immigration, and fighting the “dictate of Brussels.”

The ties between “Patriots for Europe” and the US Republicans are getting stronger. Orbán and Trump are not just exchanging pleasantries – they are conduct meetings, coordinate rhetoric and support each other. American right-wing media, including Fox News, actively promote Orbán as a model leader for America, and Trump think tanks support his anti-immigrant policies.

Back in 2018, Trump’s former strategist Stephen Bannon began working on the creation of a “right international”, trying to rally European nationalists around ideas similar to Trump’s. His projects like “The Movement” aimed to unite the European right and coordinate their campaigns.

Nationalist movements are not limited to the USA and Europe. In Brazil, the right-wing populist Jair Bolsonaro during the presidency is also open supported Trump and communicated with the European far-right. Prime Minister Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party of India promotes a hardline nationalism that resonates with the rhetoric of Orbán and Le Pen.

Are there official connections between them? Currently – no. But the ideological similarity gives every reason to believe that such alliances may emerge in the future. Nationalists of the world learn from each other. The struggle for a new world order between traditional democrats and right-wing populists is becoming global. The question is who will win.

Europe at a crossroads: will the far-right become the new masters of the continent?

Europe is changing rapidly, and upcoming elections in France, Austria and the Czech Republic could change its political landscape for a long time. Nationalist and far-right forces are preparing to take revenge, and if they succeed, the old Europe will no longer be as we know it.

Le Pen was close to victory in 2022, but Macron managed to hold on to power. Now, the French president is rapidly losing support, while Le Pen’s National Union, on the contrary, triumphs in all recent elections. 54% of French people want early presidential elections this year – and these statistics have alarm Macron. If the elections are held early, Le Pen gets a real chance for revenge.

But there is a problem: Le Pen and her party are accused in the embezzlement of EU funds, and if the allegations are confirmed, it could put an end to her candidacy. However, if she avoids legal trouble, Europe could wake up to a new far-right leader in Paris in 2027.

If Le Pen still only dreams of victory, the far right is already triumphing in Austria. Herbert Kikl’s Austrian Freedom Party FPÖ has won the parliamentary elections, and the country is now moving to the right. FPÖ known with its criticism of the EU, and the victory of this party could change Austria’s role in the union. Kikl wants to give the country more independence from Brussels and declares the possibility of revising key European agreements. The FPÖ also has long-standing ties to Russia, which could influence Austria’s sanctions policy. Will Vienna become the Kremlin’s new “Trojan horse” in Europe?

To a political comeback is being prepared Andrej Babis, former Prime Minister of the Czech Republic and leader of the ANO party. Voters are attracted by his populist rhetoric, and dissatisfaction with the current government creates ideal conditions for him.

If Babis returns to power, the Czech Republic may take a more pragmatic position in the EU, moving away from centralized Brussels politics.

It will also affect regional politics – the Czech Republic may become closer to Orbán and Kikle, creating a new bloc of countries challenging the European establishment.

If Le Pen takes power in France, Kickl strengthens his position in Austria, and Babis returns to the game, it will mean radical changes for the entire European Union. Anti-migration policies will become tougher, Brussels’ influence on national governments will weaken, and support for Ukraine may be in jeopardy.

Europe prepares for battle: how Brussels responds to the far-right challenge

European political establishment nervous. After the rapid rise of the “Patriots”, traditional parties in the EU risk losing control over the political agenda. What seemed impossible a few years ago is becoming a reality today: the far-right forms the third largest group in the European Parliament, and their influence is only growing.

Brussels officials and leaders of centrist parties understand that if this tide is not stopped now, in 2027 Europe may wake up very different – with closed borders, a weakened European Union and a softer policy towards Russia.

Leaders of the European People’s Party (EPP), Social Democrats (S&D) and Liberals from Renew Europe openly declare: cooperation with the far-right is impossible. The reason is simple – “Patriots for Europe” oppose key initiatives that have been building the EU for decades.

Among other things, they want roll up The European Green Agreement aimed at combating climate change. Center-leftists, who have been promoting environmental policies for years, are furious about this. “Patriots” strive stop the flow of immigrants, close the borders and review the refugee policy. This causes a sharp reaction among liberals and socialists, who see it as an undermining of European values. They plan to reform the EU in such a way that Brussels loses some of its power. This sounds like the beginning of the end for the Eurobureaucracy.

The EU political establishment is trying to mobilize all available resources to stop the far-right. Socialists openly declarethat will fight this threat in all possible ways. Their argument: right-wing populists are a direct threat to European stability. Centrists are looking for ways to form blocking coalitions to prevent Patriots for Europe from dictating their policies in the European Parliament. In Brussels, ideas of strengthening financial control over countries sympathetic to the far-right are increasingly being heard.

The future of support for Ukraine raises the most questions. If the far-right wins even more seats in parliament and makes its way into national governments, it could change attitudes about sanctions against Russia and military aid to Kyiv. The victory of the right in Europe can put under threat of support for Ukraine, as many of them are in favor of a more pragmatic approach in relations with Russia.

The confrontation is just beginning. Traditional parties will try to mobilize voters, use all administrative levers and even sanctions against governments that support the far right. But will it be enough?

Information war for Europe: how the far right is taking over the media space

The political struggle in Europe has long been fought not only in election booths or session halls, but also in social networks and alternative media. “Patriots for Europe” have turned Facebook, Telegram, YouTube and TikTok into real arenas of ideological battles, skillfully using the algorithms of social networks to spread their messages and mobilize supporters. Brussels may pass laws and sanctions, but the far right is already winning important battles in the infospace.

Previously, political parties fought for airtime on television, but today the main weapons are viral videos on TikTok, memes on Facebook and loud statements on Twitter.

Patriots for Europe use the same methods as Donald Trump in the USA: short, sharp messages, an emotional narrative, attacks on “elites” and exploitation of voters’ fears.

Research shows that Europe’s far-right creates the most engaged political communities on social networks – their posts garner more comments, reactions and shares than posts by liberals or socialists. Bots and anonymous accounts mass-promote right-wing content, amplifying their reach and amplifying their messages.

Some call it a “struggle for the truth”, others call it shameless manipulation. “Patriots” regularly use information warfare techniques: loud headlines, twisted facts and emotional content that appeals to fears and national feelings.

The rhetoric is based on the fact that the traditional media is an “instrument of globalists” that allegedly hides the truth from ordinary citizens. Instead, they offer their own alternative reality through independent blogs and YouTube channels. Often these messages resonate with pro-Russian propaganda – criticism of the EU, calls to abandon sanctions, fears about “Islamization” of Europe.

The extreme right is supported by such media as Rebel News, Breitbart, Epoch Times – independent right-wing publications that spread narratives against migration, LGBT, Brussels and “left-wing dictatorship”. Along with them, Fox News and GB News cover EU politics from the angle of Euroscepticism and support for nationalist movements. Alternative bloggers Jean-Messia in France and Alice Weidel in Germany actively spread the content of the far-right, presenting it as the “voice of the people”.

At the same time, the BBC, The Guardian, Der Spiegel and Le Monde wage an information war against the far-right, regularly exposing right-wing manipulation by publishing investigations into the far-right’s ties to Russia and their funding. The European Commission is trying to fight disinformation through sanctions against propaganda platforms. For their part, Google and Meta (Facebook) periodically delete the accounts of far-right activists for spreading misinformation.

European right turn: will Ukraine lose key allies?

Europe is changing, and these changes may hit Ukraine harder than it seems. The far-right, which is gaining strength in the EU, questions the unquestioned support of Kyiv, advocates the lifting of sanctions against Russia and hints at a change of course in Brussels. If this trend continues, Ukraine risks ending up in Europe, which no longer supports its struggle so unanimously.

European right-wing movements have always been heterogeneous – they are a mix of hard Russophiles and supporters of Ukraine. But the general trend is as follows: the longer the war continues, the more right-wingers question the feasibility of supporting Kyiv.

56 out of 84 deputies of “Patriots for Europe” in the European Parliament voted against another resolution in support of Ukraine. Another 15 abstained. This means that the idea of ​​revising relations with Kyiv is beginning to dominate among the ultra-right.

In France, Austria and Italy, right-wing politicians are more and more common they speak that “sanctions hit Europe more than Russia”. This is a wake-up call: if the far-right forms governments in these countries, they may advocate a revision of the EU’s sanctions policy. Some right-wing politicians openly declare that Ukraine needs a “diplomatic strategy” instead of military support. In fact, this means putting pressure on Kyiv to agree to negotiations with Moscow.

Despite the alarming signals, fortunately, not all right-wingers are against Kyiv. Some nationalist parties see Russia as a threat to Europe and support Ukraine as an outpost in this struggle. Yes, the leader of the right in the European Parliament, Marko Dzani urged support Ukraine, but “avoid escalation.” This means that a certain part of the right considers aid to Kyiv through the prism of its own interests – as a tool for strengthening Europe’s positions, but not as unconditional support.

The Polish right traditionally supports Kyiv, because they see Russia as the main threat to their security. They continue to support Ukraine, because they understand: they are next on Moscow’s list, the Baltic countries, where right-wing forces also have influence.

…It seems that Ukraine will have to play a difficult diplomatic game, in which some right-wing parties may turn away, others may become unexpected allies. But the main thing is that Kyiv must persistently talk to those who are still hesitating. European politics is changing, and if Ukraine does not act proactively, support that seemed unbreakable may begin to waver.

Tetyana Viktorova