The rise of far-right parties in recent years has transformed the European party system. These parties have become established actors at the national and local levels in Europe and are leading coalition partners in many European countries.
The transnational links of far-right parties have also recently gained attention due to the endorsement of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s re-election campaign by US President Donald Trump. Orbán himself has positioned his administration as a central node in an increasingly well-organized transnational network of national-conservative parties, think tanks, academics and civil society actors with high-publicity gatherings such as the CPAC Conference.
At the EU level, the far-right Patriots of Europe group in the European Parliament has vowed to “take over and transform Europe”. What is the impact of the increasing prominence of far-right parties on the political systems of European countries? How will far-right parties and the increasingly powerful international organization of the far right shape European and EU policy-making? What are the implications of these processes for European democracy in the future? And what could political actors committed to liberal democracy in Europe do to counter the rise of illiberal segments in far-right and far-left-wing parties?
Programme
Speakers
Sanna Salo, Senior Research Fellow, FIIA
Kimmo Elo, University Lecturer, University of Eastern Finland
Henri Vogt, Professor, University of Turku
Marie Moran, Associate Professor in Equality Studies, University College Dublin
Moderator: Inga Saikkonen, Senior University Lecturer, Åbo Akademi
This discussion at the Europe Forum is part of a research project RESLIDE – The resilience of liberal democracy in Finland. The project is funded by the Strategic research council.