Observers note that while agreement with every party across Europe’s right is unlikely, the conservative current on the continent is moving forward. In Romania, the presidential election this Sunday shapes the discussion. George Simion, the head of the Alliance for the Union of Romanians, AUR, is poised to reach the runoff with more than twenty percent. Even after AUR’s disappointing results in the June local elections and a weaker showing in the European Parliament vote, Simion remains a credible challenger because Romania’s center-right forces, led by the National Liberal Party, known as PNL, are the governing bloc and won around a quarter of the vote in the last parliamentary elections.
Across Europe, political tides have shifted. The European elections elevated EU skeptics and Eurorealists to the third and fourth largest groups in Parliament, with seats in Brussels, Strasbourg, and Luxembourg. The Liberal parties suffered losses, shedding about 42 seats, and the Greens lost around 40. For the first time in history, Conservative members hold two vice-presidential posts in the European Parliament. These changes show how voter sentiment can push populist and nationalist voices into the European stage.
Belgium also saw a shift on June 9, with conservatives winning the national vote and the Flemish EU skeptics finishing second. In Austria, libertarian-leaning lawmakers aligned with the EU skeptics won — a historic first. These results illustrate a broader pattern: EU skeptics are gaining ground in several member states, reshaping the balance of power in national capitals.
In the Czech Republic, the ANO movement of former prime minister Andrej Babis captured eleven of thirteen regions in local elections. ANO sits within the EU-skeptic camp, though it was once aligned with liberal circles. There are whispers in Prague that a coalition between EU skeptics like ANO and conservative parties could form after the next general elections.
Meanwhile, in the United States, the emergence of Donald Trump provided momentum for Europe’s right-leaning currents. The question now is whether Poland’s conservative forces can translate this climate into gains in the 2025 presidential contest.
All these developments point to a pattern where political realignments across the Atlantic reshape debates on sovereignty, borders, and governance. The interaction between domestic concerns and transatlantic signals continues to define the trajectory of Europe’s right and its connections with North America.