Cost of living crises shake centrist parties in Europe and boost the rise of the far right

A New York Times report indicates a decline in the popularity of centrist parties in Europe as anger grows over rising prices and slowing economic growth, pushing young people and workers toward far-right and far-left parties. Marine Le Pen is leading in France, and the Alternative for Germany party tops polls at 28%.

A New York Times report indicates a decline in the popularity of centrist parties in Europe as anger grows over rising prices, slowing economic growth, and dwindling opportunities to improve living conditions, pushing young people and workers toward far-right and far-left parties. Traditional parties face increasing electoral challenges ahead of key elections in Spain, France, Italy, and Poland. In France, Marine Le Pen is leading in polls, while the far-right Alternative for Germany party continues to attract new voters. Data from the Pew Research Center reveals widespread dissatisfaction with the performance of democracy, with 69% of respondents in France and 68% in Spain expressing discontent. Economist Daron Acemoglu argues that the crisis is linked to liberal democracy's failure to achieve shared prosperity for the working class. In Germany, the Alternative for Germany party leads with 28%, compared to 19.8% for the Christian Democratic Union and 13.1% for the Social Democratic Party. Analysts warn that the rise of hardline parties could make it more difficult to form stable governments and affect European Union policies.