Valérie Hayer calls for European strategy to counter far-right rise

Valérie Hayer, president of the Renew group in the European Parliament, has called for a “European radicalism” to counter the rise of far-right movements across the continent. Commenting on the success of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) in recent elections, Hayer argued that traditional right-wing parties fail when they attempt to compete by adopting populist themes such as strict immigration and identity politics.

Hayer suggested that adopting the far-right's agenda only serves to strengthen populist groups. Instead, she advocates for focusing on structural issues like climate change, energy sovereignty, and security threats, specifically citing Russian aggression. She emphasized the importance of maintaining the European Green Deal as a tool for economic and energy independence against powers like Russia and China.