European voters are increasingly shifting away from political parties that are considered close to center of the political spectrum. In the most recent German election, the CDU/CSU and SPD got a record low 45% of the popular vote. Similar patterns are also seen in the UK, France and Italy where non-center parties have gotten large shares of the popular vote. For instance, in the UK, the combined vote for the Labour and the Conservative parties was the lowest in over a century last summer. In France, the center, far-right and far-left now have roughly equal share of the popular vote. Some political commentators cite low economic growth, declining purchasing power, and fueled globalization and immigration concerns as reasons for voters to take more polarized political stances.
Source: Bundeswahlleiterin, February 2025.