Fact check: Can the European Union withstand the rise of nationalist and far-right parties?

1. Summary of the results

The European Union faces significant challenges from the rise of nationalist and far-right parties, though the situation is complex and evolving. Far-right parties made notable gains in the 2024 European Parliamentary elections, particularly in France and Germany, though they did not perform as well as initially anticipated ^{[1] [2]}.

The formation of the Patriots for Europe bloc, comprising far-right parties from 12 countries, represents a concrete organizational shift that aims to "retake institutions and reorient policies to serve national interests" ^[3]. This development demonstrates that far-right parties are actively seeking to translate their seat gains into policy influence, particularly on migration and the green transition ^[4].

The centre-right European People's Party (EPP) may need to make concessions to far-right parties to secure parliamentary majorities, which could shift the EU's policy agenda rightward ^[4]. This political reality suggests the EU's ability to maintain its current trajectory is under pressure, as the surge in far-right support could make parliamentary decision-making more difficult ^[2].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original question lacks several crucial contextual factors that shape this political landscape:

• External interference plays a significant role - the Kremlin is actively involved in spreading disinformation targeting European Parliament elections, using fake news and conspiracy theories to influence outcomes ^[5]. This suggests that some far-right gains may be artificially amplified by foreign manipulation.
• Economic drivers are fundamental - the rise of far-right parties is driven by "dissatisfaction with centrists' handling of migration and inflation" ^[6]. This indicates that addressing underlying economic concerns could potentially counter far-right influence.
• Disinformation campaigns specifically target EU climate policy - there are coordinated efforts to "delay or undermine the EU's energy transition" through disinformation ^[7]. Environmental policy opponents would benefit financially from weakening EU climate initiatives.
• The challenge extends beyond electoral politics - far-right parties' pro-Russia stance could impact "negotiations between Ukraine and Russia" ^[2], suggesting geopolitical implications beyond internal EU governance.

Centrist parties and EU institutions would benefit from successfully countering far-right influence to maintain current policy directions, while far-right parties and their external supporters (including Russian interests) would benefit from weakening EU cohesion and redirecting policies toward nationalism.

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question contains an implicit assumption that may reflect bias: it presupposes that the EU should "withstand" the rise of nationalist and far-right parties, framing these movements as inherently threatening rather than as legitimate political expressions of voter preferences.

The question also lacks acknowledgment that some far-right gains may reflect genuine democratic choices responding to real concerns about migration and economic issues ^[6], rather than purely representing threats to democratic institutions.

Additionally, the framing ignores the documented role of disinformation and foreign interference in amplifying far-right messaging ^[5], which suggests that not all far-right support represents organic political sentiment. The question would be more balanced if it acknowledged both the legitimate grievances driving some support and the artificial amplification through disinformation campaigns.