Provisional results from the European Parliament elections last weekend show a significant victory for radical-right political parties, as experts examine what’s behind the surge.
French President Emmanuel Macron called a snap election in the country later this month, following strong results for his right-wing rival party Marine Le Pen.
Political science lecturer Dr Constanza Sanhueza Petrarca joins The Briefing podcast to explain what Australia can learn:
Australian National University’s Dr Constanza Sanhueza Petrarca from the School of Politics and International Relations predicted the far-right surge.
“There is a recession in many of the economies. Levels of inflation rates are at levels that many of these societies are not used to,” Sanhueza Petrarca said.
She said the Ukrainian war also has an impact on Europeans who are concerned about safety, immigration, and government action.
What can Australia learn ahead of its 2025 federal election?
Sanhueza Petrarca says a big lesson for Australia’s parties is to take responsibility and be responsive to voters.
“We need to act basically and implement policies that are gonna help the economy. Because the incumbent party is gonna lose big, this is what’s gonna happen. This is what happens in most healthy democracies.”
“If we are not satisfied with the policies and we are not improving our living standards, we are gonna vote for other options.”
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