Europe's Muslim youth alarmed as far-right gains more seats in parliament

The just-concluded elections to the European Parliament have sped up the far-right shift of the 27-member bloc and deepened fears of increased anti-Muslim hate in what was once the bastion of secular and liberal democracy.

Provisional results show the centre-right European People’s Party (EPP) consolidating its position in the European Parliament, increasing the number of seats to 185 out of 720 in Sunday's election. This means a gain of seven seats.

Although pro-European sentiment appears to remain the majority in the new parliament, it cannot overshadow growing concerns about the rise of far-right votes in many of the 27 member countries.

Dutch politician Geert Wilders, known for his far-right and anti-Islam rhetoric, is celebrating a significant victory, with his Party for Freedom increasing its seat share from one to seven.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's Brothers of Italy, an anti-immigrant party, also secured the highest share of seats in the Italian parliament.

Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron suffered a substantial defeat at the hands of the far-right National Rally party, prompting the president to dissolve the French parliament and call snap polls–adding to the challenges in a country already grappling with growing anti-Muslim sentiments and discrimination.

Despite the continued dominance of the centre-right over the far-right in the European Parliament, the situation is far from getting better for European Muslims, who make up at least 5 percent of the union’s population.

And Muslim youth say they are “bracing ourselves” for the next five years ahead with trepidation.

Youth underrepresented

Anti-Muslim sentiments, always poised to rise in the West, have been reported more prominently across Europe since Israel's largest-ever war on Palestinians began in Gaza in October last year.

Following this rise, the consolidation of the far-right will pose further challenges across European societies, “particularly in terms of identity and the understanding of what it means to be European,” says Hania Chalal, president of the Forum of European Muslim Youth and Student Organisations (FEMYSO), a pan-European Muslim network across 22 countries.

Young Muslim communities in Europe are particularly concerned as they are expecting a further rise in discriminative restrictions on their activities with the beginning of the new five-year term under right-wing dominance.

They can foresee an increasingly restrictive and conservative approach to social issues and the civic space in which they operate, Hania says.

“This was expected because, as FEMYSO, we already operate in a civic space that is becoming narrower and even more challenging for us in recent years,” she tells TRT World. “We are bracing ourselves.”

She believes that the results from Sunday's voting likely surprised no one. However, they highlight the lack of youth participation in decision-making processes, an issue her organisation has actively campaigned for throughout the election period.

FEMYSO launched the “Your Vote, Your Voice” campaign, encouraging their member organisations through an ambassador system “to take ownership of their democratic fate and mobilise their communities” initially by going to the polls.

The voter turnout is projected to be at least 51 percent in this election, the highest since 1994, but only slightly higher than the 50.66 percent turnout in the 2019 elections.

Although youth constitute a small portion of the European population, which had the world’s largest elderly population by 2021, their higher turnout could have still made an impact on the number of far-right seats in the parliament.

The European Parliament has been facing criticism for leaving many groups underrepresented, particularly in recent years as its population becomes more diverse.

Data revealed after the 2019 elections showed that ethnic and racial minorities made up at least 10 percent of the EU's population but held just 5 percent of seats in the parliament, a disparity that could be one of the factors contributing to the rise of nationalism, far-right rhetoric, and hate speech over the past five years.

Young people's voices are often overlooked, and young minority voices are even more marginalised in European politics, Hania says.

'It can only get worse'

While concerns rise across Europe over the election results, one of the most pressing situations is unfolding in France.

President Macron announced right after the polls closed that he is dissolving the French parliament and calling for snap legislative elections following his party's heavy defeat due to the surge in far-right votes.

"Far-right parties... are making gains across the continent. It is a situation to which I cannot resign myself," said France’s self-defined “liberal” president, during whose tenure the everyday lives of French Muslims became significantly more challenging.

Far-right French parties managed to secure almost 40 percent of the vote in the EU elections.

“When so many people decide to go to the ballot boxes to choose hate, it doesn't make me feel safe,” says Loubna Reguig, head of Muslim Students of France (EMF), the only Muslim student organisation nationwide.

She believes that matters will deteriorate further with the new term of the European Parliament and the upcoming snap elections in France.

“We can expect to witness more racist and inhumane policies. There will likely be further restrictions on civic space and more attacks on Muslims. Obviously, it's already pervasive in the French media,” she tells TRT World.

“If you ask me how it's going to evolve, I think it can only get worse. We've been saying that for ten years, it's only been getting worse and worse.”

However, like FEMYSO’s Hania, Loubna also emphasises that she is ready to do more in the coming period, not only for Muslim students but also for all minority youth in the country.

The 25-year-old student believes that if more youth across France could have voted on Sunday, there would be more hope.

The far-right National Rally (RN) party, which defeated Macron on Sunday, is led by Jordan Brandella, a 28-year-old politician.

While the French far-right has historically relied on elderly votes, the recent increase in youth engagement seems to have taken a worrying turn.

Bardella's extensive use of social media platforms like TikTok during election campaigns has significantly increased his visibility among the youth, according to Loubna.

“We have this joke where people call Bardella "Barde-pas-là" on live TV, which in French means "he's not here," because he never attends the European Parliament sessions; he's always absent.”

“It's really scary to see that someone whose incompetence is that much known could become the next prime minister and is already in the European Parliament.”

With Bardella, France’s new Le Pen, gaining popularity among French youngsters, the growing far-right trend among their peers could also potentially raise concerns for Muslim youth in the country.