In an interview with the website of the Strategic Council on Foreign Relations, Morteza Makki said: “After a period of suspension and stagnation in the tendency towards extreme right-wing parties in the past year, we have witnessed the rise and enhancing of the position of far-right European parties in different countries and their influence in the European Union.”

He added: “Last year, one of the far-right parties that took power in Europe was the ‘Brothers of Italy,’ led by Giorgia Meloni, known for having neo-fascist and anti-immigrant tendencies.”

According to Makki, the Netherlands is another country where far-right parties could gain a good position in the parliamentary elections 2023. The Party for Freedom, under the leadership of Geert Wilders, who is known for her anti-Islamic and anti-immigrant views, won the majority of seats in the Dutch Parliament and stood atop other parties.

The expert on European issues continued: “Of course, Wilders has to form a coalition with other parties to form a government in Holland, which has created a state of suspension in the formation of the new government.”

He added: “Also in Sweden, the Democratic Party has improved its position among the parties in the country. In the same way, in Greece and Spain, we are witnessing the rise of the position of far-right parties.

Referring to the extreme right situation in Germany, this expert on European issues said: “Germany is the most important country and the driving force of Europe. According to the latest polls the extreme right parties, especially the Alternative for Germany party, have a good position in the state parliaments and the level of public support. The most important reason for this situation is the increase in inflation and the wave of migration from North Africa and Eastern Europe, especially Ukraine, to Germany.

In this regard, he explained: “Since the economic situation in Europe has been challenged and the wave of immigration to Europe has increased, the position of far-right parties has grown as well. Unlike the moderate right, left, and right parties, these parties have a different narrative of how to deal with the economic recession and immigrants and attribute some of their country’s economic and social problems to the increase in immigrants. These slogans have caused even the center-right parties to try to adopt more restrictive policies for the entry and attraction of immigrants in order not to lose their social base. “Most European countries have faced a severe challenge in accepting immigrants and facing the arrival of immigrants in their country.

Makki continued: “The far-right parties, due to their nationalist tendencies, weaken the European Union’s convergence process. One of the most important issues on which the Europeans could not reach a common policy was the formulation of new rules for accepting immigrants. The challenge of immigrants is so great that Josep Borrell, the foreign policy official of the European Union, has announced that the inability of European governments to adopt a common immigration policy can weaken this union and even pose a threat to European integration.

According to this expert, one of the reasons for the escalation of anti-immigration in Europe is the jeopardy of the European identity by the far-right factions.

He continued: “The pattern of these policies and positions can be seen in France, where Mrs. Marine Le Pen, who is the leader of the National Front party and is considered one of the leading figures of the extreme right in Europe, has a problem even with halal food and says that the issue of halal food distribution should be limited in France. “They are sensitive about challenging the European identity in their country, and therefore, along with the presence of immigrants in European countries, anti-immigrants have also become a more serious challenge.”

Makki explained: “At the same time, anti-immigration leads to anti-Islamism because most of the people who enter Europe are from Muslim countries.

Regarding the history of extreme right-wing parties in Europe, the researcher of European issues said: “There was a time when there was a very negative and dangerous view of right-wing parties in Europe, and right-wing and center-left parties had reached a consensus regarding dealing with these parties. In 2002, Mr. Jean-Marie Le Pen participated in the presidential election campaign with Jacques Chirac, and this election was extended to the second round; at that time, all the right and left parties of France supported Chirac, and he was reelected by winning 82%. of the votes.

During the past two decades, this worrying view and fear of extreme right-wing parties have significantly spread in Europe. If the people of European countries considered voting for extreme right-wing parties in the past years as a warning to right-wing and center-left parties to change their approach, but today, the European people’s vote for extreme right-wing parties, especially Germany, is not negative. Still, a positive vote, and this has caused the extreme parties to gain power in some European countries or participate in the coalition government.