Europe's centrist parties lose ground as populism rises across the continent

Centrist parties across Europe are losing public trust amid economic stagnation, inflation, and inequality, fueling support for populist movements on the far right and far left. This trend is exemplified by mass riots in France, which began as protests over underfunded schools. In France, Marine Le Pen's National Rally leads presidential polls, with Jean-Luc Mélenchon's France Unbowed second, while Germany sees gains for the far-right Alternative for Germany and far-left Die Linke. Upcoming elections in Spain, France, Italy, and Poland face challenges from extremist parties, with hard-right groups already in governments of several nations. Pew Research polling shows high dissatisfaction with democracy, including 69 percent in France and 68 percent in Spain. Nobel laureate Daron Acemoglu attributes this to failures in shared prosperity and elite-dominated cultural politics, urging centrists to reconnect with working-class voters to restore faith in liberal democracy.