Far-right normalisation in the EU

Abstract

Over the past decade, far-right actors have consolidated their electoral, discursive, and institutional presence across the European Union (EU), reshaping both the formal arenas of EU decision-making and the informal terrains of public debate. Their rising influence within the European Parliament, Council, and national delegations has been accompanied by a broader process of normalisation - one in which illiberal ideas, exclusionary narratives, and challenges to democratic norms progressively gain legitimacy. This process unfolds not only through the strategies of far-right parties themselves but through the reactions, adaptations, and accommodations of other political and societal actors. This panel investigates the multi-level dynamics through which far-right normalisation takes place within the European Parliament (EP), intermediary organisations, and digital public spheres. It brings together research examining how far-right actors acquire legitimacy, how mainstream and non-party actors engage with or resist them, and how these interactions collectively transform the boundaries of democratic practice in the EU. The papers address these dynamics across distinct but interconnected arenas. One contribution analyses how professional norms shape interest groups’ willingness to engage with far-right Members of the European Parliament, offering experimental evidence on the reputational and strategic considerations that guide lobbying behaviour. Another examines the rightward repositioning of the centre-right European People’s Party on climate policy -specifically the European Green Deal - thereby shedding light on mainstream adaptation and the shifting ideological landscape within the EP across legislative cycles. A third paper explores far-right behaviour and influence on liberal-democratic norms inside the EP, scrutinising both direct attempts to challenge democratic principles and the mainstream actors’ responses that may enable or constrain such efforts. Finally, a fourth study investigates how far-right conspiratorial narratives gain perceived credibility and acceptance through digital engagement dynamics, using a vignette experiment on virality cues surrounding Great Replacement discourse in online platforms. Together, these papers illuminate the institutional, strategic, and communicative mechanisms through which far-right ideas become embedded and normalised within EU politics. By integrating perspectives from interest-group behaviour, party politics, legislative dynamics, and digital mobilisation, the panel advances a comprehensive understanding of how far-right normalisation is reshaping democratic norms and governance in the European Union.

Title	Details
From Sports Clubs to Ballot Boxes: Far Right Infiltration of Civil Society and Consequences for Political Behavior	View Paper Details
Pulled to the Right? The EPP and Climate Politics in the European Parliament	View Paper Details
Far-Right Voting Influence on Liberal Democracy in the European Parliament	View Paper Details
The Normative Boundaries of Access: Lobbyists and the Far Right in the European Parliament	View Paper Details
When Metrics Persuade: How Platform Engagement and Reach Cues Shape Conspiracy Credibility	View Paper Details