Variance in far-right positions on European climate policy and the role of domestic factors

Séminaire axe Partis, Élections, Représentation with Franziska Höhne, Goethe University Frankfurt, Germany

Bio

Franziska Höhne is a PhD researcher in the field of International Relations, based at Goethe University Frankfurt, and is currently affiliated as a visiting researcher at CEVIPOL, ULB. Her research is situated at the far-right climate nexus, with a focus on the international institutions intended to govern the climate crisis. For her PhD thesis, she analyses how far-right parties in Europe approach international climate policy, what influences their positions and how we can explain variance between the parties. Franziska Höhne obtained a M.Sc. degree in Global Studies from Gothenburg University in 2021 and a B.A. in International Relations from the University of Erfurt in 2019.

Abstract

In a rapidly warming world, climate obstruction has become a central challenge of global governance - exacerbated by the rising influence of far-right actors. Far-right ideology is understood as inherently incompatible with climate policy, particularly when interpreted through a populist lens. When considered a thin-centred ideology, the complexity of climate governance clashes with Manichean, anti- cosmopolitan worldview of the populist far-right.

Yet, recent scholarship paints a more nuanced picture. Not only has the European far-right shifted from primary to secondary obstruction, i.e. from denial to response scepticism, some parties have also been found to selectively embrace international climate cooperation. This variation remains underexplored.

Building on research that highlights the role of contextual factors over ideology for far-right stances on climate policy, this paper compares the impact of domestic factors such as issue salience, green party strength, and office opportunities. In a comparative case study design, the paper analyses justifications provided in MEPs’ speeches and voting records, supplemented by interviews with far-right MEPs and their staff. Understanding the nuances of far-right climate obstructionism is essential for a comprehensive grasp of the phenomenon and for designing effective responses.