Female Leadership in Hard-Right European Parties: A Closer Look at Germany, France, and Italy

In recent times, the Financial Times (FT) compared three of the leading European far-right parties: Germany’s AfD, France’s National Coalition, and Italy’s Fratelli d’Italia. These groups, commonly referred to as “hard-right” parties, share several common characteristics such as strong nationalism, hostility towards immigrants and Islam, and authoritarianism.

One unique trait that sets these parties apart from others in Europe is their female leadership. Alice Weidel heads the AfD in Germany, Marine Le Pen leads the National Alliance in France, and Giorgia Meloni is both the prime minister of Italy and leader of Fratelli d’Italia. This contrasts with other European countries where men dominate party leadership positions.

While these parties share similarities in their stances on nationalism, opposition to minorities, and traditional values concerning gender roles and family dynamics, they differ in some aspects. For example, while Finland’s Basic Finns were not included in FT’s comparison, Fratelli d’Italia stands out as a party led by an Italian prime minister. Furthermore, the leaders of these three parties have varying opinions on their stance towards Russia and Ukraine. While Meloni has distanced herself from pro-Russia sentiments and advocated for supporting Ukraine in EU contexts