In the new European Parliament (2024-2029), the four right-wing party groups together will hold 52% of the seats. However, some believe that the right policy is unlikely, given the historical lack of unity on the far right and the centre-right’s reluctance to cooperate with the far right. The four right-wing groups, ranging from center-right to far-right, are the European People’s Party (EPP), the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR), the European Patriots (PfE), and the Sovereign States of Europe (ESN).
EU politics is different from domestic politics. There is no coalition government based on negotiated contracts. Instead, a new coalition government will be formed for each bill. Previous parliaments have featured a grand coalition between center-left and center-right parties, with liberals acting as kingmakers. Collaboration with the far-right violated norms often referred to as the sanitary cordon. However, the current zeitgeist is the normalization of far-right ideology, and cooperation between the center-right and the far-right is increasing. In what areas are we most likely to see such alliances?
About the author:
Filip Broniecki is a postdoctoral researcher/assistant professor at the Department of Political Science, University of Oslo.
Bjorn Hoyland is a professor of political science at the University of Oslo.
