The threat from far-right populism hasn’t gone away

When I speak to people about right-wing populism these days, I notice that many tend to believe that it’s old news. Populist leaders captured the world’s attention in 2016 with the Brexit referendum and then, later that year, with Donald Trump’s election victory. Now, seven years later, many seem to feel it is past its prime. Trump was defeated in 2020 and is under indictment. Brexit has been a messy failure; a majority of Britons now regret that it passed. But while it’s true that some populist heroes and causes have been battered, the core appeal of the movement persists and has actually gained ground in recent months.

Consider Spain, which was one of those countries long thought to be immune to right-wing populism because (like Germany) it once suffered under a right-wing autocracy. The conservative party, Vox, founded a decade ago, was long seen as too extreme to make real inroads in the political system. Today, it is the country’s third-largest party. In May, it doubled its vote share in regional and local elections and now governs in many places. In this weekend’s elections, it is likely to continue to make gains.

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