Volume 16 | 2025

This book is based on a collection of essays authored by a group of international scholars who participated to the third edition of the seminar series “Populism and Far-Right”, organized in 2024 by Polidemos, the Centre for the Study of Democracy and Political Change of the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore of Milan.

2024 has marked a pivotal moment in global politics, as two major elections, the European Parliament elections and the U.S. presidential election, took place, shaping the future trajectory of their respective regions and had far-reaching consequences for global dynamics. In Europe, the European Parliament elections held in June 2024 confirmed a trend: Far-right and nationalist parties, although divided, are gaining ground across the continent. There is a deepening rift between pro-European Union (EU) forces and those advocating for greater national sovereignty and resistance to EU governance. Populist Radical-right and Far-right parties capitalized on growing concerns about immigration, economic inequality, and national identity, presenting themselves as the protectors of traditional European values against the perceived erosion of those values by Brussels and international elites. The outcomes solidified the far-right’s foothold in the EP, strengthening their voice in shaping EU policies on contentious issues such as migration, security, and economic reforms. At the same time, the results exposed a broader disillusionment with the EU, complicating its political dynamics and signaling a period of uncertainty in European integration.