While reading recent news, I noticed a significant surge in right-wing parties across Europe. This trend is not confined to Europe; it is also apparent in the United States, where Donald Trump may potentially return to the White House.
In Africa, nationalist politics are ascendant, with recent elections in Senegal and coups in Burkina Faso, Mali, Guinea, Sudan, and Niger driven by potent nationalist sentiments.
To me, nationalism is not always a bad thing. As a nationalist and a conservative myself, I believe that the right of every nation to self-determination, including the protection of its borders, natural resources, citizens, and way of life, is fundamental to my conservative and nationalist worldview.
However, the liberal and globalist narratives contradict this viewpoint. Proponents of globalisation seem to argue that the world’s population should be homogenised so that powerful people and elites can maintain, control, and access natural resources that are essential to their economies through various strategies, including manipulating local perceptions, politics, and the fabric of the civilisation of particular countries.
This agenda is admitted openly, as highlighted in books like John Perkins’s Confessions of an Economic Hitman, which details how economic policies are often manipulated to benefit a select few at the expense of the many.
Spheres of influence
American Senator Lindsey Graham revealed the true motivations behind his country’s support of Ukraine in its war with Russia. “Ukraine has trillions of dollars worth of critical minerals in their country,” Mr Graham said. “Vladimir Putin cannot be allowed to access that money and those resources because he will share it with China.”
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Amidst the devastating wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, the focus appears to be on access to resources and influence rather than democracy and a rules-based international order.
In another interview with the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, American Marine Corps General Michael Langley was asked about the presence of a military base in Africa with over 1,000 U.S. servicemen, where he defended the deployment on Rusophobic grounds.
“A number of countries are at the tipping point of actually being captured by the Russian Federation as they are spreading some of their false narratives across Libya and, from a strategic answer piece, access and influence across the whole Maghreb,” he said. “That is NATO’s southern flank. We need to be able to have — maintain access and influence across the Maghreb, from Morocco all the way to Libya.”
This statement highlights the underlying motives of maintaining access, influence, and control over key strategic countries and resources.
The expedition to other countries and the rhetoric of open borders among European countries and the U.S. have significantly impacted liberal parties. It has consolidated nationalist, conservative, and right-wing politics in a way not seen in recent decades.
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The recent European Union parliamentary elections have underscored a significant global trend: the rise of right-wing nationalist politics, driven largely by disillusionment with liberal policies and their perceived adverse effects on economies and societies.
Right-wing surge
In Germany, France, and Austria, prominent liberal leaders faced severe electoral setbacks as far-right parties gained substantial ground. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer witnessed their parties suffer dramatic losses, reflecting a broader shift to the right within the 27-member bloc.
Despite traditional parties maintaining control of the 705-member European Parliament, the surge in anti-establishment sentiment was unmistakable.
France saw Marine Le Pen’s National Rally triumph over Macron’s centrist Renaissance party, prompting Macron to consider early legislative elections—a risky move that could further erode his party’s standing and jeopardise his presidency.
Le Pen’s party, capitalising on widespread frustration, secured approximately 33 per cent of the vote and 31 seats in the upcoming European Parliament. Le Pen’s rhetoric focused on curbing mass immigration and defending national interests resonated with many voters, highlighting the appeal of nationalist platforms in the face of perceived liberal failures.
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In Germany, the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) emerged as a formidable force, projected to secure over 16 per cent of the vote—its best performance to date. This surge coincides with significant turmoil within Germany’s party system, where the decline of mainstream parties has created a vacuum filled by populist movements.
The conservative coalition of the Christian Democratic Union and the Christian Social Union topped the polls with around 30 per cent, while the Green Party suffered a notable decline. Voters punished the Green Party for the costs associated with environmental policies.
The economic impact of liberal policies, particularly those aimed at reducing CO2 emissions, has fueled voter dissatisfaction across Europe. Scholz’s Social Democratic Party (SPD) and the pro-business Free Democratic Party (FDP) also saw diminished support, indicative of a broader trend where liberal parties lose ground to right-wing alternatives.
Austria’s far-right Freedom Party achieved a historic victory, securing nearly 26 per cent of the vote in a national election for the first time. This shift reflects a growing disenchantment with liberal governance, which many perceive as overly bureaucratic and out of touch with national priorities.
Global phenomenon
The rise of right-wing nationalism is not confined to Europe; it is a global phenomenon driven by a backlash against liberal politics. Economic hardship, societal changes, and a sense of lost sovereignty have led voters to seek alternatives that promise to restore national pride and economic stability.
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The political landscape is fundamentally transforming as established liberal parties grapple with the fallout from their policies and the burgeoning appeal of nationalist rhetoric.
In Africa, the rise of nationalist politics is intertwined with economic struggles and a rejection of foreign influence, often linked to the legacies of colonialism and the contemporary impacts of globalist policies. The recent coups and elections are manifestations of a broader desire for self-determination and control over national resources.
I thoroughly enjoyed John Perkins’ Confessions of an Economic Hitman, which vividly illustrates how globalist agendas have historically undermined national sovereignty for economic gain.
“This book was written so that we may take heed and remould our story,” the author writes. “I am certain that when enough of us become aware of how we are being exploited by the economic engine that creates an insatiable appetite for the world’s resources and results in systems that foster slavery, we will no longer tolerate it. We will reassess our role in a world where a few swim in riches and the majority drown in poverty, pollution, and violence. We will commit ourselves to navigating a course towards compassion, democracy, and social justice for all.”
His vision of a fairer world has not been achieved. In fact, the trajectory, frankly speaking, is quite the contrary. The ongoing manipulation has fueled resentment and a desire among many nations to reclaim control over their destinies, leading to the consolidation of nationalist ideals.
Thus, the global rise of right-wing nationalism can be seen as a response to the failures of liberal policies and the quest for a more self-reliant and sovereign future.
Kennedy Mmari is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Serengeti Bytes, a Dar es Salaam-based communications, public relations and digital media agency. He’s available at kennedy@serengetibytes.com and on X as @KennedyMmari. The opinions expressed here are the writer’s own and do not necessarily reflect those of The Chanzo. If you are interested in publishing in this space, please get in touch with our editors at editor@thechanzo.com.
