Nostalgia fuels Europe's far right, analysis finds
The gist
A new analysis links nostalgia and lost pride to the surge of Europe's far right.
The findings matter because mainstream parties are losing ground to identity-focused populism.
How it unfolded
- Sep 13, 2026The Sweden Democrats ran in the elections with the slogan 'make Sweden great again'.
- Sep 18, 2026A two-part biopic about Charles de Gaulle, 'De Gaulle: Résistance,' is described as popular in France, highlighting public frustration with present-day politicians. A new ECFR and European Cultural Foundation study, 'Future Nostalgia: Europe's Unfinished Song,' based on nearly 6,000 interviews across six countries, is published.
- Sep 21, 2026Chancellor Friedrich Merz's CDU obtained its worst result in history in regional elections in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania; Alternative for Germany won there and came in third in Berlin. Analysis is published on the fuel that feeds Europe's far right: nostalgia and lost pride.