“Crazy Javier” in Argentina, and “Dutch Trump” in the Netherlands: The rise of the far right

Italy

In fact, Italy was the first country in Western Europe where the far right emerged. The winner of the elections held in Italy in September 2022 was the far-right Brotherhood of Italy (FdI) party. Italy’s first female prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, raised her vote rate from 4% in 2018 to 26%. Meloni (45 years old) became the country’s first far-right prime minister after dictator Benito Mussolini.

Throughout the campaign, Meloni made harsh statements about his opposition to the European Union, immigrants and abortion. He also did not hide his opposition to Türkiye’s membership in the European Union. However, after his election, he toned down his rhetoric. He stated that Italy is part of Europe and that he does not sympathize with fascism.

Dutch

In the November 22 elections in the Netherlands, the far-right Freedom Party, led by Geert Wilders, came first in the ballot. The Freedom Party increased its number of seats from 17 to 37, which is not enough to form a government on its own, but it represents a strong addition in a coalition government. It can also be said that it achieved a major victory by more than doubling its number of seats compared to 2021.

Wilders, known as the “Dutch Trump”, is known for his anti-Islam and anti-immigrant statements. Wilders, who is remembered for speeches such as leaving the European Union and halting the flow of migrants, promised in his election platform to “bring back the old Netherlands” to voters who have felt the economic hardship more acutely in recent years.

Many of Wilders’ proposals, including taking back control of the Dutch border, detaining and deporting illegal immigrants, and reintroducing work permits for workers within the EU, could radically change things in the Netherlands.

However, it is also believed that Wilders will soften his tone in order to cooperate with other parties while forming a coalition government.

Argentina

Following the elections that took place in Argentina on November 19, far-right Javier Miley was elected president of the country.

Miley, who has been likened to former US President Donald Trump and former Brazilian leader Jair de Bolsonaro, said he would close Argentina’s central bank in order to improve the Argentine economy.

Miley also stated that ministries such as environment, health and education should be closed.

Miley entered the election as a candidate for the La Libertad Avanza (Advancement of Freedom) party, defeating his leftist rival Sergio Massa with 55.7 percent of the vote. He will officially take office on December 10.

Miley has also made extreme statements such as anti-abortion, climate change denial, etc. He has nicknames such as “The King,” “The Lion,” and “The Majnun.”

Germany

In the State Council elections that took place in Germany last October, it was noted that the far right is on the rise. The victory of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in regional elections in eastern Germany showed that the long-standing “firewall” against the far-right has weakened.

Public opinion polls showed that problems such as inflation, economic recession, and the growing number of refugees at the national level were on the voters’ agenda. As support for the leader of the Social Democratic Party, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, declines, it is believed that German voters will favor the xenophobic and anti-Islam AfD in the future.

Finland

In the elections held in April in Finland, the center-right National Coalition Party took first place in the ballot boxes and won 48 seats in Parliament. The “True Finns” party, which is anti-immigration and anti-European Union, came in second place in the elections, and the party won 46 seats in parliament. The two parties formed a 4-party coalition government, taking with them the Swedish People’s Party and the Christian Democrats. Thus, the most right-wing government in the country’s history was formed.

The result of the ballot box was the message sent to Finnish voters: refugee quotas must be reduced, citizenship must be made more difficult to obtain, and immigration standards for work must be raised.

Prime Minister Petri Orbu, leader of the National Coalition Party, said he had taken a tough stance on immigration and cut spending by €6 billion. The new anti-immigration coalition agreement, reached within 11 weeks, also stipulated that refugee status would be granted temporarily and that people illegally in Finland would be sentenced to prison.

Sweden

In the elections held in Sweden last September, the Social Democratic Party came in first place, while the far-right Sweden Democrats came in second place. The Social Democratic Party became the second largest party in the country, and with 20.5% of the vote, the party entered a direct government program for the first time.

Thus, what was long thought impossible in Sweden happened, and the far right was included in the government formation process. This led to radical changes in Sweden’s approach to the regime, asylum, immigration and integration.

France

In France, the far-right Le Pen achieved a record by obtaining 41.46 percent of the votes in last year’s presidential elections. The far-right National Rally party led by Le Pen won 89 seats out of 577 in Parliament. As the largest opposition party, they focus on issues of racism and xenophobia. “Tangibly improving the lives of the French people” is the party’s sole agenda.

In 2017, French President Emmanuel Macron received 66.1 percent of the votes and Le Pen received 33.9 percent. In 2022, Macron received 58.5 percent of the vote and Le Pen 41.5 percent. With four years remaining until the next presidential election, opinion polls indicate that Le Pen will win today’s runoff.

Austria

The far-right Austrian Freedom Party (ÖFP), one of Europe’s oldest far-right movements founded in 1956 and first founded by a former Nazi official, entered government for the first time in the 1999 elections.

His pro-Moscow views could make it difficult for the party to form a coalition even if it wins next year’s elections. Austria, like its neighbor Hungary, lags behind Western Europe in its support for Russia.

Analysts believe that the reasons for the increasing right-wing trend in many countries vary from one country to another, but the influx of immigrants, the economy, the high cost of living, and the epidemic war between Russia and Ukraine push voters towards right-wing leaders. .

*News photos were provided by the Associated Press and AA.