Politicians in Germany are raking up votes for the June European Parliament election by bringing up topics like the conflict in Ukraine and the rise of far-right nationalist groups around the continent.
Trust in conventional politicians has taken a beating in Spain, where the unemployment rate is one in three persons under 25, and immigration is skyrocketing. Protests backed by a far-Right ideology of populism and nationalism are attracting media attention throughout Spain, while many young people have lost trust in voting altogether.
More and more people, especially those under 30, are expressing a strong national pride in Spain and other European Union nations. The most popular party among this age group in Germany is the hardline Alternative for Germany (AfD), which opposes enormous “refugee flows” that cause social division, overwhelmed medical systems, and a shortage of housing.
The founder of Victory, a Greek right-wing party, Nikos Vrettos, is concerned about a sad loss of talent as educated young Greeks leave for countries like England and Germany. When the subject shifts to the upcoming EU elections, he finds solace in believing the new-style far-right will emerge.
The previously defunct Greek far-right group Golden Dawn is again in full swing, with members donning tattoos and short-sleeved black shirts with the phrase “Hooligans” embroidered. They have also proposed the use of border mines to eject illegal immigrants, demonstrating their desire to deport all illegal immigrants.
TikTok and other social media platforms are used by far-right and conservative lawmakers in the European parliament to appeal to younger people. Just like in the first EU member to do so, three far-right parties—Spartan, Greek Solutions, and Victory—took 11% of the 300 available parliamentary seats in Greece’s recent national elections.
A former member of parliament for the conservative New Democracy party, Konstantinos Bogdanos, thinks this will lead to people gravitating towards the far right.
