Far-Right Surge: From Electoral Growth to Street Violence
Across the UK and Ireland, far-right parties have gained alarming traction in recent years. Once relegated to the political fringe, groups promoting anti-immigrant rhetoric and nationalist policies now command significant parliamentary seats. The UK’s Brexit referendum catalysed a political environment where identity politics flourished. Meanwhile, Ireland, traditionally more moderate, has witnessed rising nationalism linked to fears over immigration and cultural change. In Ballymena, Northern Ireland, minority families have been subjected to violent attacks described by local police as “racist thuggery.” People across Northern Ireland are deeply appalled by the violence witnessed in Ballymena and other areas. For example, a Filipino family’s home was petrol-bombed simply because two Romanians were facing court over sexual assault allegations — an act that has nothing to do with legitimate concerns and everything to do with pure racism.
The summer of 2023 saw a troubling pattern of violent clashes in Belfast and Dublin, where working-class neighborhoods erupted in protests targeting migrant communities. These tensions were often inflamed by misinformation spreading rapidly on social media. In Dublin, protests against refugees escalated into riots, with buses set ablaze and shopfronts smashed. This unrest reflects a deeper malaise. Economic stagnation, rising living costs, and a media landscape rife with polarising narratives have left many feeling abandoned. As Tony Benn famously asked:
“What power have you got? Where did you get it from? In whose interests do you exercise it? To whom are you accountable? How do we get rid of you?”
For many working-class Europeans, the answer seems increasingly to lie in nationalist parties promising “control” and “security,” even at the cost of social cohesion.
Hardening Europe’s Stance on the Middle East
The domestic political shift has profound international consequences. Europe’s foreign policy toward the Middle East — particularly Israel and Palestine — is increasingly shaped by hardline nationalist influences. Since October 2023, Israel’s assault on Gaza has resulted in tens of thousands of Palestinian deaths, according to Gaza Health Ministry reports. Yet European responses vary starkly depending on geopolitical alliances and domestic politics.The UK government’s humanitarian response starkly illustrates these contradictions. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the UK expedited the evacuation of 21 Ukrainian children with cancer to receive treatment in the National Health Service (NHS). However, it took over 17 months of persistent lobbying before only two children from Gaza were permitted similar care — chosen not for war injuries but for congenital conditions deemed less politically sensitive.
— Middle East Eye, May 2024
“Behind what some might frame as a triumph of British humanitarianism lies a much darker reality,” wrote journalist Jonathan Cook.
(Middle East Eye, May 28, 2024)
This disparity is no accident. Far-right and even some mainstream parties increasingly view Palestinian advocacy as a security threat rather than a humanitarian concern. In France, pro-Palestinian demonstrations face police crackdowns and legal bans. Germany’s interior minister has labelled certain solidarity groups as extremist. In the UK, the term “terrorist” is applied with broad strokes that blur peaceful activism with violence. Meanwhile, arms sales to Israel continue unabated. British defence contractor Elbit Systems operates multiple sites in the UK, supplying drones and weapons systems. Whistleblowers and activists accuse the UK government of complicity in what some term “genocide” in Gaza.
— Declassified UK, April 2024
Nationalism, Media, and the Recasting of “Terrorism”
At the heart of this shift is a redefinition of who is a “threat.” Inflammatory media narratives and elite political manipulation have recast refugees and minorities as security risks. The phrase “terrorist” has become a political weapon, deployed selectively. Consider Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa, known as Abu al-Jolani — once on the U.S. Department of Justice’s most wanted list with a $10 million bounty linking him to al-Qaeda and ISIS. By May 2024, he was invited to international peace talks as a respected leader. This contradiction highlights how geopolitical interests often trump simplistic labels of good versus evil. The far-right’s binary worldview — friend or foe, citizen or alien — feeds this climate of fear. Militarised borders, heightened surveillance, and exclusionary immigration policies are justified as necessary to protect “Western civilisation.” This echoes Trump-era America’s Muslim bans and “America First” isolationism.
Europe’s Shifting Alliances: Ukraine, Gaza, and the Question of Solidarity
In May 2024, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk convened in Kyiv as part of the “Coalition of the Willing” — a group committed to Ukraine’s defence against Russia.
“We, the leaders of France, Germany, Poland, and the United Kingdom, stand in Kyiv in solidarity with Ukraine against Russia’s barbaric invasion,” their joint statement read.
Absent was any mention of Gaza or the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding there.
Italian politician Alessandro Di Battista, after visiting Gaza, gave a chilling assessment:
“If I had to imagine hell, I would think of two million people dying.”
(La Repubblica, April 2024)
This stark contrast raises urgent questions about Europe’s values and priorities. Why is the world’s attention, military aid, and medical support focused on Ukraine while Gaza’s children endure a siege and bombardment with little international outcry?
Conclusion: At a Crossroads
Europe stands at a critical juncture. The rise of far-right nationalism is more than a domestic challenge; it’s reshaping how the continent sees its role in the world. The intertwining of economic insecurity, media-fuelled division, and hardline ideology is recasting migration as a threat, humanitarian aid as a liability, and foreign policy as a contest of identities rather than shared human rights. From the riots of Dublin and Belfast to protests in Los Angeles, from Kyiv’s battlefields to Gaza’s ruins, this rightward turn raises profound questions about democracy, justice, and solidarity. Will Europe choose to uphold universal values — or continue down a path where nationalism and exclusion define its future?
References & Further Reading:
CBS Los Angeles, Michael Prysner interview, May 31, 2020:
https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/los-angeles-protest-national-guard-veteranMiddle East Eye, UK’s Gaza children treatment double standard, May 2024:
https://www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/uk-gaza-children-treatment-double-standardDeclassified UK, Britain’s role in Israeli arms supply, April 2024:
https://www.declassifieduk.org/britain-is-fuelling-the-genocide-in-gaza/La Repubblica, Alessandro Di Battista on Gaza, April 2024