Over the past two decades, a persistent narrative has emerged in European politics, warning of the far right’s encroaching influence. From the late 2000s through the 2019 EU election, this narrative has been fueled by catastrophic predictions and alarmist rhetoric — painting a picture of the potential dangers posed by extreme voices gaining ground in the European Parliament.

Recent efforts have even seen certain European leaders reach out to pop icons like Taylor Swift for assistance in mobilizing young voters for June’s EU elections. European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen further made headlines on February 21 with her statement that she would not engage in collaboration with far-right parties in the upcoming European Parliament.

Yet such theatrics and overly dramatic exchanges are entirely unnecessary. Over the past two decades, a deliberate normalization of far-right ideologies has already come to pervade European politics, with the tacit approval of top EU bureaucrats. This normalization has been actively endorsed and championed by traditional center-right forces, now grappling to uphold their diminishing authority as the pivotal EU election approaches.