The electoral advancement of the far right in the 21st century and its effects on European party systems

Abstract

Based on the analysis of the of party system format, this article studies the evolution of electoral support for far-right parties in Western Europe and its effects on the fragmentation of each system, as well as the consequences that electoral volatility provokes on voter realignment. By analyzing the most relevant issues in their programs according to data from the Manifesto Project, we evaluate the polarization of the parties. It is concluded that there is no homogeneous pattern in the development of the European radical right parties in the 21st century, though pluralism and competition on the left/right axis have increased in general. In most cases, there has been a secular-type realignment of the electorate. In some cases, there is a high degree of fragmentation and polarization without this being relevant for the governability of the countries. Finally, there is a general trend of strategic confluence of these parties in programmatic moderation to broaden the electoral base.