British voters’ decision in 2016 to leave the European Union came as a shock to many in the United Kingdom and beyond. With its ‘Take back control’ slogan, the Vote Leave campaign tapped into anti-elite sentiments, concerns about immigration and a variety of other discontents, stoking a populist backlash against the political classes in London and Brussels. In the decade since the Brexit vote, right-wing populism has gained influence and support in many European nations, writes Gar Meng Leong.
A new Pew Research Center analysis released today highlights some factors that have shaped the rise of right-wing populism in Europe and elsewhere. For example, our survey data highlights the degree to which views of right-wing populist parties in four countries we routinely study have become more favorable over the past 10 years. And a year after the Brexit vote, opinions of the EU improved sharply in most countries. Today, people in many European nations we have surveyed see the European Union more favorably than they did in 2016, when United Kingdom citizens voted to withdraw from the EU.
In several European countries, EU gets more positive ratings today than during the Brexit vote. Here are some themes that emerge:
Frustration with politics
Our surveys over the past several years have found a widespread sense of frustration with, and distrust in, political elites. In 2023, majorities in nine of the 10 European nations studied said most elected officials in their country do not care what people like them think. Majorities of roughly seven-in-ten or more held this view in Spain, Greece, Hungary, Italy, France, the U.K. and Poland. In 2025, many Europeans said few or none of the elected officials in their country are honest, understand the needs of ordinary people, focus on the most important problems, are ethical, or are well-qualified.
Economic anxieties
The rise of an increasingly interconnected world economy in recent decades has created resentments among those who feel left behind by globalization. Often, this group includes many working-class people with less education, who in years past tended to vote for left-of-center parties but have increasingly turned to the populist right. In general, economic anxieties have left Europeans pessimistic about the long-term future. Across 10 European countries we surveyed in 2024, a median of 70% said that when children in their country grow up, they will be financially worse off than their parents.
Cultural grievances
In addition to economic frustrations, support for right-wing populism is associated with cultural grievances and reactions to rapid social change. In 2022, we asked respondents if their country would be better off if it sticks to its traditions and way of life or if it is open to changing them. Overall, Europeans said their nation should embrace change. However, substantial shares preferred sticking with tradition, and this view was especially common among those who support right-wing populist parties. For example, 64% of Swedes with a favorable view of the Sweden Democrats think their country would be better off keeping its traditions and way of life, compared with 26% among those who rate the party negatively. Supporters of right-wing populist parties also tend to have a more exclusionary view of national identity. For example, roughly half or more of those with positive views of right-wing populist parties in Spain, Poland and Greece think it is very important to have been born in their country to truly be a part of their country’s nationality.
Our survey data also shows that people who view right-wing populist parties favorably are less likely to express support for abortion or same-sex marriage. How do right-wing populists view democracy? In 2023, we asked respondents in 24 nations whether certain types of government would be a good or bad way to run their country. Majorities in every place surveyed – including 10 European nations – described representative democracy as a good way of governing their country. Among both those with favorable views and unfavorable views of populist parties, support for representative democracy was generally high.
However, supporters of right-wing populist parties were more likely than others to say that a system in which a strong leader can make decisions without interference from legislative bodies or the courts was a good way of governing their country. Those who support right-wing populist parties were also more likely to think military rule could be a good way to govern. Who supports right-wing populism? Our surveys suggest that generally, people with less education hold right-wing populist parties in higher regard than those with more education. Still, across levels of educational attainment, no right-wing populist party received majority favorable marks in any of the European countries we surveyed in 2025.
Other data suggests that right-wing populist party supporters can also be more religious than nonsupporters. In our analysis of views of the European Union, we surveyed 13,575 people in France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden, the U.K. and the U.S. from Feb. 1 to April 23, 2026.
https://www.pewresearch.org/2026/05/28/global/methodology-brexit/How we classified European political parties
https://www.pewresearch.org/2026/05/28/global/appendix-classifying-european-political-parties-brexit/
https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/05/pg_2026.05.28_brexit_topline.pdf
