Europeans may be fretting about the rise of Donald Trump in the United States, but from Britain to Austria, the region is confronting its own surge of the populist right. The new breed of nationalist in Europe is more disarming than the frothing-at-the-mouth, angry orators who once held sway over the far right in the region. Like Trump, some are drawing strength from the less educated and white working classes, tapping into a rash of fears that now span the Atlantic. Fears of migration, globalization, underemployment and the loss of influence in a fast-changing and increasingly diverse world. Here’s a look at some of the far-right voices gunning for power in Western Europe.
Norbert Hofer, Austria
Norbert Hofer, 45, is the front-runner in this Sunday’s presidential elections in Austria. Hofer’s rise is attributed in part to his easy manner, and he has been described by some as being just like your next-door neighbor. Although the role of president is traditionally ceremonial in Austria, he has vowed to fire the coalition government in charge if it doesn’t control migration.
Marine Le Pen, France
In many respects, Marine Le Pen is Europe’s pioneer in attempting to cast the populist far right in a more respectable light. Where her biological and political father, Jean-Marie, was overtly racist and particularly anti-Semitic in his remarks, Marine sought to sanitize the party and distance herself from such statements when she took over as leader of the National Front in 2011. She was also among the first to fully refocus far-right antipathy from Jews to Muslims — a switch now in full swing across the continent.
Boris Johnson, Britain
The king of political comedy, London’s conservative former mayor with a trademark shock of straw-colored hair is known for blending his blind ambition with buffoonery. While not a card-carrying member of Europe’s far right per se, his use of populist tactics has defined his career.
Now a member of Parliament, he has positioned himself as the even more conservative alternative to Prime Minister David Cameron.
Sylvi Listhaug, Norway
A rising star in her populist Progress Party, this daughter of Norwegian farmers is known for her reality-show-like aplomb, including a stunt that found her floating in a survival suit off the coast of Greece in an attempt to better understand the refugee crisis. Since becoming Norway’s migration minister in December, she has taken a harsh stance — including deporting rejected asylum seekers to Russia in sub-zero weather in what may have been a breach of international law.
Kristian Thulesen Dahl, Denmark
Kristian Thulesen Dahl does away with the notion that there are no soft-spoken populists, leading his Danish People’s Party to electoral gains with even-tempered finesse. Yet he has done it while stoking the fires of fear over migration. In 2013, Thulesen Dahl called on Denmark to accept fewer immigrants from Muslim countries and has suggested there is no room in his country for more Muslims.
Geert Wilders, The Netherlands
One of the most divisive political figures in Europe, far-right Geert Wilders has seen his popularity ebb and flow over the years. But he has seemingly capitalized on the refugee crisis, claiming that allegations of rape and abuse of European women by migrants is proof of the anti-Islam warnings he has been issuing for years.
He has compared the Koran to Hitler’s “Mein Kampf” and called for a ban on Muslim immigration. A January poll showed his Freedom Party surging in popularity.
