Has populist radical right politics taken over the mainstream in Europe?

By Georgie Gould

The populist radical right (PRR) has not just flirted with mainstream politics— but is starting to firmly plant its roots, according to a new study from the University of Surrey. This research challenges the widespread belief that PRR movements are merely on the fringes, suggesting instead that they are on the verge of becoming a central pillar in European politics.

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Drawing from an extensive analysis of political trends across Europe, the study examines how PRR ideologies have seeped into the fabric of mainstream political parties.

Professor Daniele Albertazzi, co-author of the study and Professor of Politics and Co-Director of the Centre for Britain and Europe at the University of Surrey said:

"The line between radical right and mainstream politics has started to become blurred. What we are witnessing is not a temporary surge but a shift in political norms and values.

“However, our research has shown that populist and, even more so, radical-right (i.e. authoritarian and nativist) attitudes still set PRR voters apart from the electorate at large. Radical-right attitudes are endorsed by a minority of Europeans and enjoy much lower levels of support than liberal and social-democratic ones. Therefore, we can establish that the populist radical right still cannot be considered fully as part of the mainstream today. Hence, on the basis of this analysis, we can define the populist radical right as ‘established but not yet mainstream’ in contemporary European politics. "

To arrive at these conclusions, Professor Albertazzi’s team conducted a meticulous examination of public sentiment data from across the continent.

Key findings of the study include:

Over the past two decades, PRR parties have won national elections in seven European countries and placed second in another seven.

PRR parties have joined governments in 14 European countries, that is, in a majority of those European countries where this party family exists, indicating their growing influence.

Countries with majoritarian electoral systems or recent authoritarian histories are less likely to have PRR parties in government.

A large majority of Europeans (four in five voters) support populist attitudes like people-centrism and anti-elitism.

However, support for nativist and authoritarian attitudes, which are key to PRR ideology, is much lower. The percentage of respondents who score above the middle of the scale on nativism is ultimately 32%; for authoritarianism, it is 24%.

Nativist attitudes are more prevalent in countries like Hungary, Slovakia, and Greece.

Most Europeans strongly support liberal-democratic and social-democratic values - – always consistently above 80%.

This study's findings raise important questions about the future of democracy in Europe. If mainstream parties continue to embrace PRR ideologies, the political landscape could become increasingly polarised, undermining the democratic principles that have long underpinned European governance.

Professor Daniele Albertazzi continued:

"The radical right is no longer the outsider; it’s shaping the core of political debate and is already increasingly taking part in government coalitions across the continent. Although nativist and authoritarian values cannot be said to have become ‘mainstream’ yet, populism has done so by now, contributing to the evolution of the very notion of mainstream politics today.”

The study has been published in the West European Politics journal.

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