The real threat posed by the far-right is not their role in the European Parliament, but their impact on domestic politics

Far-right parties such as the Front National in France and Golden Dawn in Greece were predicted to make large gains in the 2014 European Parliament elections. John Gaffney writes that while some of these parties did indeed increase their share of seats, this was far from uniform across Europe and the lack of cohesion among these groups will ensure they play only a limited role in the Parliament itself. Nevertheless, he argues that the real threat posed by the far-right is not their potential to exercise power through the European Parliament, but their ability to mobilise voters through a nationalist discourse at the level of domestic politics.

• Primary Source

ESO: Background information: Le Pen gathers allies for new far-right EP group / European elections: Nationalists look to build alliances http://www.europeansources.info/record/le-pen-gathers-allies-for-new-far-right-ep-group-european-elections-nationalists-look-to-build-alliances/

ESO: Background information: European Parliament - Election, 22 - 25 May 2014. Results http://www.europeansources.info/record/european-parliament-election-22-25-may-2014-results/

Blog: LSE EuroppBlog, 14.06.14: Populist parties have made common cause with technocrats in hollowing out national democracy in Europe http://bit.ly/1vdaBGp

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