Episode Overview

Podcast: TED Talks Daily
Episode Title: What’s behind the rise of far right politics in Europe
Guest Speaker: Daphne Halikiopoulou, Political Researcher
Date: September 2, 2025

In this episode, political scientist Daphne Halikiopoulou examines the increasing appeal of far right politics across Europe. She debunks common myths about the reasons for this shift and explores how far right parties are broadening their base through strategic narratives, economic anxieties, and exploitation of social insecurities—not solely through cultural or immigration issues. The talk provides a nuanced explanation of the demand (voter motivations) and supply (party strategies) driving the far right’s rise and proposes more effective responses for mainstream political actors.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Ubiquity and Rise of the Far Right in Europe (00:48)

• Far right parties are no longer fringe; they're gaining seats and even entering governments across Europe.
• Formerly "immune" countries like Spain and Portugal now see significant far right movements.
  • Quote:
    “The problem is not just that these parties are getting a lot of votes. The problem is that many of these parties are now in government.” — Daphne Halikiopoulou (00:50)

2. Misconceptions about the Far Right’s Appeal (01:38)

• Common narrative: The rise is driven solely by immigration backlash and cultural concerns.
• Halikiopoulou argues this is an oversimplification; support extends well beyond anti-immigration sentiment.

3. The Real Drivers—Insecurities and Voter Coalitions (02:40)

• Far right support is multifaceted:
  • Culturalists: Voters with firm anti-immigrant or nationalist views (a minority).
  • Materialists/Welfarists: Economically insecure individuals convinced that immigrants threaten jobs and access to welfare.
  • The Distrustful: People who have lost trust in political and social institutions.
  • Anti-Greens: Voters in rural areas who feel threatened by environmental policies.
• One-third of far right voters don’t mention immigration at all as a concern.
  • Quote:
    “There is a non immigration route to far right voting. This shows you that one third of far right voters in Europe don't report immigration concerns at all.” — Daphne Halikiopoulou (03:39)

4. Party Strategies – The “Supply Side” Explanation (05:53)

• Far right parties actively craft narratives to attract broader coalitions.
• The shift from overtly racist rhetoric to “civic nationalist” narratives:
  • Parties frame their exclusionary stance as a defense of liberal democratic values, not biological differences or overt racism.
  • Example: Germany’s AfD running a campaign about "defending bikini beach culture," framing opposition as refusal to accept illiberal values.
  • Quote:
    "[The far right is] shifting the boundaries of toleration on its head… They are not saying, 'I don't want people who are biologically different to me'... What they say is, 'we exclude those who do not espouse our liberal democratic values.'" — Daphne Halikiopoulou (06:35)
  • Quote:
    “It takes away the stigma of fascism. It takes away the stigma of extremism. So a voter will say, well, it's okay, I can vote for these people because they are not actually extreme.” — Daphne Halikiopoulou (07:34)

5. The Consequences of Mainstream Party Responses (08:19)

• When mainstream parties copy far right narratives, especially on immigration, it normalizes extremism and further empowers the far right.
  • Quote:
    “Other parties copying the far right on immigration are only making this problem worse... They are only normalizing the far right and making the far right bigger.” — Daphne Halikiopoulou (08:24)

6. The Path Forward—Agency and Narrative Competition (09:05)

• The rise of the far right is not inevitable; mainstream parties also have agency.
• Rather than mimicry, mainstream parties must directly contradict far right narratives and promote positive, inclusive visions.
  • Quote:
    “If the far right has the agency to capture broader and broader coalitions, that's a bad thing. But it means that we also have agency to put on our own narratives.” — Daphne Halikiopoulou (09:10)
  • Quote:
    “Our agency cannot be to copy the far right. That agency has to be to contradict the far right, to expose it for what it is: extreme, and to also put forward and promote the positive aspects of immigration.” — Daphne Halikiopoulou (09:35)

Memorable Moments & Notable Quotes

• On data and evidence:
  “I'm an academic, as I said, and so I love to talk with data and with evidence.” — Daphne Halikiopoulou (03:12)

• On societal insecurities:
  “There is no society that has no insecure people.” — Daphne Halikiopoulou (05:18)

• On the civic nationalist narrative:
  “We exclude those who do not espouse our liberal democratic values. We exclude those who don't espouse our liberal democracies. They are antithetical to the very essence of the democracies that Europe is based on.” — Daphne Halikiopoulou (06:43)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:48 — Introduction: Europe’s growing far right, mainstream responses
• 02:40 — Breakdown of far right voter coalitions and insecurities
• 03:39 — One-third of far right voters not concerned about immigration
• 05:18 — Societal insecurities and far right strategies
• 06:35 — Civic nationalist narrative explained (example: AfD swimsuit campaign)
• 08:19 — The dangers of mainstream parties copying the far right
• 09:05 — Call to action: agency and narrative competition for mainstream parties

Conclusion

Daphne Halikiopoulou’s TED Talk challenges dominant assumptions about the far right’s success in Europe, showing that it’s not simply about immigration or culture but about broad, cross-cutting insecurities—from economics to distrust in institutions to environmental policy backlash. Far right parties are adept at framing themselves as defenders of mainstream values, shedding stigma, and reaching new voters. The solution, Halikiopoulou argues, lies in proactive, distinctive responses from other parties—ones that reject far right mimicry and instead offer hopeful, inclusive alternatives.