Europe’s Populist Parties and Climate Change

Europe’s populist parties have demonstrated a keen ability to exploit crises effectively. In Germany, the far-right capitalized on the European debt crisis and later the migrant crisis. They also leveraged the Covid-19 pandemic, consistently criticizing mainstream elites for their handling of these situations.

Could the climate crisis be next on their agenda? This might seem unlikely, considering climate change contributed to record heat across Europe last week. Many populist parties support the oil and gas industries, which are driving these environmental changes. Yet, today’s discussion by Michael Shear and Jeanna Smialek sheds light on how right-wing parties are already moving to exploit issues related to the recent heat emergencies.

The leader of Britain’s Conservative Party, Kemi Badenoch, recently visited an oil rig in Aberdeen, Scotland. During her visit, she reiterated support for the fossil fuel industry, despite a crisp 12 degrees Celsius in the region. Badenoch’s statement, “The war on oil and gas must end,” was met with enthusiasm from supporters in one of Britain’s major petroleum extraction hubs.

Badenoch’s call to “get Britain drilling again” underscores a broader political strategy by right-wing parties to maintain their stance on fossil fuels. This approach comes amidst growing concerns about the impact of climate change, highlighting a complex political challenge as these parties attempt to align their agendas with current environmental realities.