The French party "National Rally," led by Marine Le Pen, is becoming increasingly influential, garnering significant support among voters.
The party not only aims for higher positions within the government but also actively manipulates the political landscape, impacting state decisions. Experts warn that if Marine Le Pen, who previously referred to Putin as a "patriot" and a bastion of traditional values, were to become the President of France, it could jeopardize support for Ukraine. Currently, in addition to diplomatic backing, the French government is supplying Kyiv with weapons, including Mirage aircraft, SCALP missiles, and Caesar howitzers.
Support for the far-right is also felt in Germany, where the "Alternative for Germany" (AfD) party continues to gain popularity, particularly noticeable ahead of the early elections in February. The party, which has focused on Euroscepticism since its inception, actively promotes anti-immigration and nationalist slogans. In 2024, it achieved historic success, and party leader Alice Weidel stated that her party could become part of Germany's future government.
“Tech entrepreneur Elon Musk calls the AfD the 'last spark of hope' for Germany and gestures at Donald Trump's inauguration in a manner reminiscent of Hitler's salute. This indicates a shift to the right in the Western world. Liberal democracy has not faced such attacks from both inside and outside as it does now,” noted the influential German weekly Spiegel.
