A new study conducted by over 150 political scientists shows that the vote for far-right parties has increased nearly fivefold from 1995 to the present, exceeding the threshold of 23% at the European level.
Electoral support for far-right parties in Europe has seen a significant increase over the last three decades, currently reaching over 23% of the total voters, according to an analysis carried out by over 150 political scientists from 31 countries, within the PopuList project, according to theguardian.
The study shows that the proportion of votes for far-right formations has increased from about 5% in 1995, to around 10% a decade ago, to over 23% at present — a development described by researchers as a structural transformation of the European political landscape.
In parallel, nearly 30% of Europeans currently vote for anti-system parties, a record level, indicating a broader expansion of populist currents in European states.
Accelerated growth in recent years
According to the analysis coordinated by political scientist Matthijs Rooduijn (University of Amsterdam), the rise of the far right was particularly rapid during the period 2023–2025, when several parties achieved historic results in national elections.
In France, the National Assembly (RN) became the largest parliamentary force in 2024, with an increase from 19% to 37%. In Austria, the Freedom Party (FPÖ) rose from 16% to 29% in the 2024 elections.
In Portugal, the Chega party has grown from 7% to 18%, while in the United Kingdom, Reform UK reached 14% in 2024, up from 2% in 2019 (under the name Brexit Party).
In Germany, the Alternative for Germany (AfD) doubled its electoral score in 2025, from 10% to 21%, ranking for the first time second at the national level.
The PopuList report shows that far-right formations are part of governing coalitions in Croatia, Czech Republic, Italy, and Finland, while in Sweden they support a right-wing minority government.
At the same time, theseparties are leading in the polls in countries such as Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom.
However, there are also examples of electoral setbacks: in the Netherlands, Geert Wilders’ party lost almost a third of its mandates, and in Hungary, Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party was defeated by a center-right rival.
Although there have been fluctuations, researchers emphasize that the rise of the far right is not a recent phenomenon, but one that has been manifesting for decades and has accelerated in recent years.
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