From AfD to Fidesz – How the Radical Right Threatens Democracy in Europe

Far-right parties are no longer a fringe phenomenon in Europe. Whether the AfD in Germany, Rassemblement National in France, the Sweden Democrats, Vox in Spain or Fidesz in Hungary – in almost every European country, radical right-wing parties are represented in parliament. In some countries, they have even become part of the government or, as in Italy, are leading it. The elections to the European Parliament in June 2024 also demonstrated their growing strength: between 2004 and 2024, the vote share of radical right parties increased from 8.4 to 20 percent.

What these parties have in common is their ability to exploit international and domestic crises, economic insecurities and social tensions for their political purposes. They present themselves as the voice of “the people against the establishment” and thus attract voters who no longer feel represented by traditional parties. Issues such as migration, media freedom or minority rights are deliberately instrumentalized to sow mistrust in democratic institutions and deepen social divides.

Against this background, we are very pleased to welcome Tarik Abou-Chadi, Professor of European Politics at the University of Oxford, on Tuesday, 16 December 2025 at 5:30 p.m. at the Schwarzkopf Foundation Young Europe.

Together with you and Tarik Abou-Chadi, we would like to discuss the following and other questions: What similarities and differences can be identified between far-right parties across Europe? Which factors contribute to their political success? What goals do these parties pursue and with which strategies do they implement them? To what extent and in what ways are far-right parties connected at the European level? What impact does their rise have on political culture and legislation in Europe? And how can these developments be addressed?

We look forward to your participation and kindly ask you to register by 15 December 2025.