Jennifer Xiao
In a troubling trend that threatens the fabric of European democracy, recent elections in Austria and Germany have highlighted the growing influence of far-right parties across the continent. The normalization of anti-migrant, anti-Islam, and Euroskeptic ideologies risks pushing Europe into a political and moral quagmire from which it will be difficult to emerge.
For the first time in Austrian history, the far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ) garnered more votes than any other party in September’s elections. Meanwhile, in Germany, the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) achieved a breakthrough victory, winning a state election in Thuringia for the first time since World War II. Both parties ran on platforms that exploit the public’s anxieties around migration, national sovereignty, and EU influence—concerns that have clearly found resonance with voters. But the ascendance of these far-right parties is not just a domestic issue. It carries significant implications for the European Union’s future direction, unity, and ability to respond to global challenges like migration, climate change, and the war in Ukraine.
What should be most alarming, however, is how far-right ideologies are creeping into the mainstream. Traditional center-right and center-left parties, which once provided a buffer against extremist politics, are increasingly adopting elements of far-right rhetoric, particularly on immigration. As the Overton Window shifts, policies once considered unthinkable—like mass deportations of asylum seekers—are now on the table. In April, the EU passed reforms to strengthen border controls and expedite deportations, signaling a marked departure from its previous stance on migration. This rightward drift is not merely the result of electoral pressure; it is a symptom of something more insidious: the mainstreaming of far-right ideas across Europe.
Austria’s FPÖ is a particularly stark example of this phenomenon. Long regarded as the elder statesman of Europe’s far-right, the party has moved from the fringes to a prominent player in Austrian politics, securing 29 percent of the vote in September. Its platform, chillingly titled “Fortress Austria,” calls for the expulsion of “uninvited foreigners” and rails against the European Union’s policies on Ukraine and Russia. Once ostracized, the FPÖ’s rhetoric now mirrors much of the discourse heard across Europe, where fears of migration have become political currency for right-wing populists.
In the past, the European Union responded forcefully to the FPÖ’s inclusion in Austrian government coalitions, even imposing sanctions in 2000. Today, however, Brussels appears far less willing to act. With far-right parties now in government in Italy, Hungary, and elsewhere, the EU risks becoming paralyzed by its own internal divisions. The rise of these parties threatens to stymie any unified European response to external crises, such as the ongoing war in Ukraine, where support is already beginning to wane. Austria’s FPÖ and Germany’s AfD have both explicitly called for an end to aid for Ukraine, a chilling prospect as Russia’s war of aggression drags on.
Germany’s political landscape, too, has shifted dramatically. The AfD, founded just over a decade ago, has gone from a fringe movement to a party that has secured state-level victories and is polling second nationally. It gained traction during the 2015 refugee crisis, harnessing fears of cultural change and economic insecurity to build a strong base in the formerly communist East. The party’s xenophobic and Islamophobic platform has led to certain branches being placed under domestic intelligence surveillance, but its growing influence is undeniable. For now, Germany’s political establishment has managed to keep the AfD out of government through coalitions, but this has come at the cost of fragile political alliances. Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s coalition is already showing signs of strain, and it is unclear whether his government can last until the 2025 elections.
One thing is clear: the surge in far-right politics across Europe is reshaping the continent’s political future in profound ways. Beyond their electoral successes, far-right parties like the FPÖ and AfD are shifting the political center of gravity, forcing mainstream parties to harden their stances on migration, EU integration, and foreign policy. This shift is already visible at the EU level, where migration policies are becoming more draconian. This creeping extremism is a direct threat to the European project itself. If parties that espouse nationalistic, anti-EU rhetoric continue to gain power, the unity and cohesion of the European Union will be at risk, and the values it purports to uphold—democracy, human rights, and solidarity—will be further eroded.
The normalization of far-right politics is a danger not only for the countries where these parties are gaining ground but for Europe as a whole. The lessons of history are clear: when extremist ideologies gain legitimacy, the consequences can be devastating. Europe is at a crossroads. Its leaders must decide whether to stand firm in defense of democracy and pluralism, or to capitulate to the forces of division and xenophobia. The stakes could not be higher.
