Act 2: Refugee Crisis

The refugee crisis of 2015 led to a discourse on ‘less immigration’, ‘terrorism’, and ‘Islamism’, not only intensifying government crises across Europe but also fuelling the rise of radical right parties shaping government formation. However, it also strained EU cohesion as member states disagreed on internal movement policies for migrants, with divisions being formulated among member states. The chapter explores the radical right’s trajectory during the refugee crisis and focuses on monitoring policy restructuring and discourse evolution amid a crisis integral to the radical right’s existence.