In the Netherlands, Geert Wilders’ anti-immigration far-right Freedom Party won the 2023 election on a campaign that tied affordable housing to restrictions on immigration — a focus that struck a chord with young voters. In Portugal, too, the far-right party Chega, which means “enough” in Portuguese, drew on young people’s frustration with the housing crisis, among other quality-of-life concerns.
Still in some countries, the far–right’s popularity did not always translate to becoming youth favorites. In 2022, while Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s far-right Brothers of Italy received votes from every age bracket, data suggested the young favored left-wing parties more.
German and Finnish data has suggested the leftist Greens — which capitalized on the youth vote in the past — were now losing ground.
Young voters across Europe are veering toward newer parties, which include far-right platforms, whereas many long-established, centrist parties still rely on support from older voters, said Josse de Voogd, a Dutch researcher who has made electoral geography his specialty.
“AfD in Germany doesn’t even have to grow to become the largest, because [the Socialists] and the [Christian Democrats] will naturally shrink, and the young voters are scattered across all parties,” he said, referring to the far–right Alternative for Germany.
The analysis also points to a split: While young women often reported support for the Greens and other left-leaning parties, anti-migration parties did particularly well among young men.
