RTVS | Elections show Europeans' new priorities

After the European Parliament elections, the two largest factions retained their positions. However, far right parties has made gains at the expense of the Liberals and Greens. It was significant in France, Germany, Austria and other Member States. Why more and more young people vote for them? Will the right-wing groups in the EP join forces? And how can they influence migration policy, support for Ukraine or the Green Deal? For RTVS programme Z prvej ruky comments Žiga Faktor, deputy director and head of the EUROPEUM Institute's Brussels office.

I dare say that the growth of the far right has been influenced not only by the crises of the last few years. We have been seeing growing support for the far right since the financial crisis in 2008. Somehow it continues to grow and the mainstream parties are still unable to find an answer. Rather, what we have seen in recent years is, that they are trying to take up some of the themes of the far right. This has normalised them, which has further closed the gap between the far right and the political mainstream. This has not helped either.

Žiga Faktor
Deputy Director & Head of Brussels Office

Expertise: European integration of Western Balkans, EU enlargement, Slovenian Politics and EU-Turkey relations