Europe's Rightward Shift: Analyzing the Rise of Right Politics

As voters in 27 countries go to the polls in European Parliament elections, University of Essex Professor Natasha Lindstaedt explains how Europe's center of political gravity is veering to the right. Center-right and far-right parties are set to take the largest number of seats, signaling a significant shift in European politics.

The liberal party of Prime Minister Alexander De Croo OpenVLD lost dramatically in Belgium's regional, national, and EU elections on Sunday, highlighting the growing popularity of right-wing ideologies in the country. Spain's center-right People's Party (PP) came out on top in Sunday's European election, garnering 22 seats out of the 61 allocated to the country.

The center-right European People's Party (EPP) was seen winning 189 seats - the largest bloc - in the European Union Parliament, further solidifying the rise of right-wing forces across the continent. Spain's right-wing Popular Party inched ahead of Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's Socialists in Sunday's EU election, a vote marked elsewhere by right-wing gains.

Right-wing forces across the continent are expecting to make gains on their liberal and Left-wing rivals, a trend that was evident in the EU parliamentary elections. The results showed major victories for right-wing parties, indicating a potential shift in European politics towards more conservative ideologies.

Britain's insurgent right-wing party Reform UK wants to overhaul the Bank of England's money printing program to save billions of pounds for the country, showcasing the growing influence of right-wing economic policies in Europe.