Radical, nationalist, and far-right parties have experienced a series of significant electoral shifts across Europe in recent years, altering the political landscape in numerous countries. In Germany, the Alternative for Germany (AfD) solidified its position as the nation's primary opposition party following the February 2025 legislative elections, where it secured 20.8 percent of the vote, finishing behind Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s conservatives.
The anti-immigration party, which maintains sympathies toward both Russia and US President Donald Trump, achieved a historic victory on September 6, 2026, in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt. While the AfD also placed first in the Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania regional election on September 20, the centre-left SPD is expected to maintain governance through a coalition with left-wing allies.
Italy has been led by Giorgia Meloni since October 2022, following her post-fascist Brothers of Italy party’s victory in that year's legislative elections. Her government coalition includes the conservative Forza Italia and Matteo Salvini’s far-right League. In Austria, the Freedom Party (FPO), which was established by former Nazis, secured a first-place finish in the September 2024 legislative elections but ultimately could not secure the coalition partners required to form a government.
Meanwhile, Switzerland’s October 2023 elections reinforced the status of the radical-right Swiss People’s Party (SVP) as the largest group in the National Council, holding 62 of the 200 available seats.
In France, the National Rally emerged as the largest single party in the lower house of parliament in 2024, though its legislative influence has been mitigated by an alliance of opposing parties. Marine Le Pen, the party's leading figure, currently holds the frontrunner position in opinion polls for the spring 2027 presidential election. In Portugal, Chega leader Andre Ventura reached the second round of the presidential election, though he was ultimately defeated by the moderate Socialist candidate Antonio Jose Seguro.
Other nations have seen varied results. Sweden’s September 13 legislative elections resulted in a decline for the Sweden Democrats (SD), marking their first decrease in support since entering parliament in 2010 and pushing the party into third place behind the Moderates and the Social Democrats. Conversely, in Finland, the far-right Finns Party placed second in the April 2023 legislative elections and is currently part of the governing coalition led by conservative Petteri Orpo.
In Belgium, the far-right Vlaams Belang increased its parliamentary presence in the June 2024 elections, holding 31 of 124 seats in the Flemish parliament and 20 of 150 federal seats, serving as the largest opposition group in both assemblies.
In the United Kingdom, Nigel Farage’s anti-immigration Reform UK secured 14 percent of the vote and five MPs during the July 2024 general election, with Farage later winning a snap by-election in August 2026 by a wide margin. The Netherlands saw a tight contest in the November 2025 legislative elections, where Geert Wilders’ PVV lost to centrist Rob Jetten, though parties such as JA21 and Forum for Democracy saw notable gains.
In the Czech Republic, the far-right SPD has participated in the governing coalition of Prime Minister Andrej Babis since December 2025, with party leader Tomio Okamura serving as the speaker of parliament since November 2025.
Slovakia’s nationalist Prime Minister Robert Fico, who maintains close ties to the Kremlin, returned to power in October 2023 and governs in coalition with the far-right SNS. Hungary’s ultraconservative nationalist Viktor Orban, who governed from 2010, was defeated in the April 2026 legislative elections by conservative Peter Magyar.
Finally, in Poland, nationalist Karol Nawrocki was elected president in June 2025 with backing from the Law and Justice party (PiS), while in Romania, AUR leader George Simion finished second in the May 2025 presidential election behind centrist Nicusor Dan.
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