Editorial - The far right weaves its web across (the whole of) the EU

In a few days' time, we will be celebrating the 40th anniversary of the signing of the Schengen agreements, which marked the abolition of borders between the countries and peoples of the European Community, now the European Union, at a time when nationalism had plunged Europe into fire and bloodshed. And yet nationalist ideals are far from having disappeared – on the contrary. This seems to be the rule now: every election in a European country carries the risk of sovereignists winning, with more or less serious consequences for the country's domestic and foreign policy. To win, or simply to carry enough weight to bring about a change of course.

In recent weeks, all eyes have been on two Eastern European countries, both full members of the European Union since the vast enlargement of 2004: Romania and Poland. The scenario differed between the two in the run-up to the presidential elections. In Poland, the outgoing head of state, Andrzej Duda, was already an elected member of the PiS, the Law and Justice party, which has stepped up its attacks on the independence of the judiciary and the LGBTQ+ community.

The liberal coalition government, elected in 2023, was hoping to unseat President Duda, who was holding back its reform programme. But to no avail, it was political novice Karol Nawrocki who won by a landslide for the PiS with 50.89 per cent of the vote. A virulent historian, he campaigned on claiming reparations from Germany for the crimes and damage caused by the Nazi regime, as well as calling into question aid to Ukrainian refugees.