A dam seems to be cracking more and more and it might soon come to the point of breaking: European centre-right parties are increasingly willing to either team up with far-right parties to form government coalitions – or at least to govern with far-right parties’ support, as happened recently in Sweden. Or, in a much more subtle manner, they are less and less immune to far-right speaking points, mostly regarding immigration, LGTBQ rights and environmental legislation.
Where do centre-right political parties that played such an important role in post-WW2 Europe stand today? Are they still able – or even willing – to form the backbone of political life they played in many countries for a long time? Or, confronted with an exodus of voters, do they succumb to the shrill tones of insurgent movements? The Progressive Post dedicates this dossier to the centre-right, which has, for decades, been Progressives’ main rival, but one that could be respected and taken seriously not only because of its electoral relevance but also because of the consistency of its political views. The question is, can it still be taken intellectually seriously, beyond its electoral relevance?
