A record number of Members of Parliament from far-right and hard-right groups were elected to the European Parliament in last month’s European elections. The results produced such confusion that French President Emmanuel Macron called snap parliamentary elections. Surprisingly, the far-right National Rally won the first round of the country’s early legislative elections. However, in the second round, the left and the center collectively thwarted the far right.
Afterward, the world saw the formation of a far-right government in the Netherlands. Furthermore, Giorgia Meloni, the most right-wing leader of Italy since the fascist wartime leader Benito Mussolini, is in charge. Nonetheless, in European nations, these electoral wins and the possibility of right-wing populists taking the reins are no longer shocking.
Employing Economic Grievance Theory
According to this theory, austerity measures, unemployment, and downturns in the economy foster the growth of far-right movements. The least fortunate people in rich industrialized economies are the “losers” of globalization due to economic uncertainty. This further breeds discontent and gives rise to the biggest support for authoritarian and populist ideologies. In addition, the general public becomes more susceptible to nationalist and populist discourse. This is accurate in terms of the current state of affairs in Europe.
Rather than being the product of a single thinker, the emergence of Economic Grievance Theory is more closely associated with a wide scholarly agreement. It combines knowledge from multiple academic fields to explain how economic variables lead to the emergence of far-right and populist groups. To provide a thorough explanation of the event, the theory is frequently explored in conjunction with other explanatory frameworks, such as the theories of populism and cultural reaction.
Analyst on populism and the far right, Cas Mudde, is widely recognized. He is a prolific writer on the socioeconomic factors that foster the expansion of far-right political movements. His 2007 work “Populist Radical Right Parties in Europe” looks at how economic instability could help these parties acquire traction. In addition, Ruth Wodak discusses in her 2015 book “The Politics of Fear: What Right-Wing Populist Discourses Mean” how far-right movements use voters’ financial worries to win over new supporters.
For Example
- Germany: Disillusionment with the political system, cultural opposition to immigration, and economic concerns can all be used to explain the rise of the Alternative for Germany (AfD).
- France: Fears over immigration, the country’s economic hardship, and Marine Le Pen’s skillful use of populist rhetoric are all factors in the National Rally’s (previously National Front) victory.
- Italy: Economic hardships, anti-immigrant feelings, and a rejection of established political elites are the main causes of the League’s (Lega) appeal.
What Happened in the General Elections in the United Kingdom and France?
France and the UK just held general elections. With 4,114,287 votes and 14.3% of the total vote, the far-right Reform Party in the UK received the third-highest popular vote total. Five MPs were added to it. With 37.06% of the vote, the far-right Rassemblement National or RN, generally known as The National Rally won the popular vote in France. It increased by 142 MPs.
In the UK election, the left-of-center Labour Party triumphed handily, while right-wing parties are dominating in other parts of Europe. However, the far right is still a force to be reckoned with by the current Labour government. The 14-year Conservative rule in the UK has been blocked by Keir Starmer’s resurgent UK Labour Party, which is pushing the country to the left in opposition to continental Europe’s shift to the far right.
Tracing Right-Wing Populist Groups in the UK
The right-wing populist group Reform UK, headed by Nigel Farage, the long-time scourge of the Conservatives, also outperformed pollsters. These days, his friendship with former US President Donald Trump may be the reason he is most well-known. Before this, he was acknowledged for having paved the way for Brexit following decades of opposition to the UK’s EU membership. Farage has now been elected as a member of parliament (MP) on his eighth attempt.
What Happened in the UK Between 2010 and 2020?
The Conservatives led by David Cameron, who narrowly won the 2010 election, portrayed austerity as a necessary reaction to the 2008 financial crisis. Michael Marmot’s research for the Institute of Health Equity detailed the precise social ramifications of these cuts: life expectancy has stopped rising for the first time in a century and has decreased for women living in impoverished areas.
Following the crash, employment increased and remained extraordinarily high. However, the pay for these new employees was pitiful, and it took until two months ago for incomes to return to pre-2008 levels. The amount of debt owed by households was staggering, with an average of £15,385 not including mortgages. This is not surprising. The wealthiest now have more wealth than their parents did; families are engaged in lifelong, unstable private renting; home ownership has sharply decreased; and the young are now less fortunate than their parents were at their age.
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How the Labour Party Got Here?
Europe is seeing a rise in far-right populism but the UK labour victory sets a different path. For Labour, it signifies the conclusion of a protracted wait and a comeback to authority amid agitation. However, what went wrong for the Conservatives to simply exhaust their credibility in the eyes of the British public?
Brexit Referendum
The most notable legacy of the Conservative Party is undoubtedly Britain’s exit from the European Union. A referendum was first promised during the campaign, and in June 2016, the choice to exit the EU was made historically. The departure of Prime Minister David Cameron, who had fought for Brexit, came next. The Brexit deal was officially finalized on January 31, 2020, but not before the House of Commons saw political unrest in the years that followed. Boris Johnson and Theresa May became the two new leaders of the Conservative Party during this time.
The Conservatives have failed to boost the economy despite their pre-referendum pledges. Conversely, since then, the UK has had to deal with soaring housing costs, declining household budgets, and growing living expenses. Recent surveys show that the number of individuals who want to rejoin the EU has surpassed that of those who still support Brexit, which is generally seen to be a bad economic decision for the UK.
Immigration Infamy
A major component of the Conservative campaign was reducing illegal immigration, especially the influx of tiny boats from the coast of France. However, following party leaders’ baffling and ineffectual actions bewildered and dismayed Tory voters (Conservative Party) who had faith in these pledges. The contentious Rwanda Plan and the boarding of undocumented immigrants are examples of recent attempts. Asylum applicants are to be sent to the African country under the Rwanda Plan for processing. Voters became increasingly enraged and disappointed when none of these proposals were carried out.
Uneven Handling of Covid-19
Following the 2019 parliamentary elections, the COVID-19 epidemic presented then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson with a formidable problem. His original plan to let the virus spread to gain herd immunity backfired. He came under heavy pressure as the number of casualties skyrocketed. Johnson was charged with enforcing lockdowns too late, which led to needless fatalities. Johnson tried to rally support with a quick immunization drive, but his party removed him because of a sharp decline in his popularity.
A Cost of Living Crisis Spurred by Rising Energy Costs and Inflation
The way the Conservatives handled the economy and the rising cost of living drew increasing criticism. The party found it difficult to solve the financial issues that regular people were encountering under each of its presidents. A spike in inflation made it harder for many people to make ends meet. The government’s actions, according to critics, disproportionately benefited the wealthy and did little to ease the financial problems of the general populace. The Conservative Party’s support was severely undermined by this unhappiness, which ultimately led to its electoral defeat.
A revolving door of prime ministers (who could forget the iconic lettuce that outlasted Liz Truss’s 44 days in office)
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov gave then-Foreign Secretary Liz Truss a chilly reception in Moscow as hostilities with Russia grew before the Ukraine war broke out in February 2022. A few months later, following Johnson’s departure, Truss found herself running against Rishi Sunak for the Conservative leadership. She was ousted from office after just 49 days in office due to financial instability brought on by her mini-budget and the British pound’s historic low versus the US dollar. She had been elected leader and prime minister. The public’s trust in the Conservative Party was significantly eroded during her brief reign. Truss became the first former prime minister to lose an election in almost a century when Labour defeated her in Thursday’s vote in her home district of South West Norfolk.
Labor, on the other hand, came together around a crystal-clear message: the UK is in disarray due to Tory leadership. Politicians in the labor movement claimed that drastic budget cuts destroyed the nation’s National Health Service. Furthermore, trade and economic growth were slowed down by Britain’s exit from the EU. Polls showed that the message was effective because Labour had a double-digit lead over the Conservatives for more than 18 months before the election. Britain experiences many of the same issues as other European nations, particularly about economic complaints. Economic grievance theory offers the best explanation for the current state of affairs and the Labour Party’s election victory, as demonstrated by the examples of European nations and the United Kingdom. If Keir Starmer’s influence as prime minister wanes, there’s a huge risk that the popular right may capture the public imagination as it has elsewhere in Europe.
The views expressed in this write-up are the author’s own. They do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of the South Asia Times.
Mishaal Malik, presently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in International Relations at Quaid-e-Azam University (QAU), serves as a Research Associate at South Asia Times (SAT). Mishaal demonstrates a commitment to scholarly inquiry, particularly focusing on research related to South Asia and East Asia. She can be reached on X, formerly Twitter at @MishaalMalik502.
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