From May 23 to May 26, residents of EU member states will vote for who they want to represent them in European Parliament. The vote is held every five years and decides which MEPs  will sit in Brussels and have power in the EU law-making process. With the Brexit deadlock continuing in the UK Parliament, Britain has seen a rise in support for Nigel Farage’s new party – the Brexit Party. But it’s not just Farage who is enjoying the rising wave of populism across the continent.

There is a rising tide of populism in Europe which has emerged ahead of these latest European elections.

Several populist parties have come forward ahead of the European vote and have pledged to change European politics.

The UK’s Brexit Party has vowed to push through an immediate EU exit if they win.

While France’s Le Pen-led National Rally has united with Italy’s Salvini, League party and a host of other Eurosceptic parties who will sit together in the EU Parliament.

MEPs from 28 EU governments sit in European Parliament but they sit together by political stance rather than by nation.

This means populist MEPs who win seats in these latest elections will all sit together in the same section of European Parliament.

From the UK’s Brexit Party to France’s Le Pen-lead National rally, these are Europe’s rising populist parties.

The Brexit Party, UK

Former UKIP leader Nigel Farage launched the Brexit Party after Theresa May’s failure to push through a Brexit delay March 29.

The Brexit Party is yet to release a manifesto but has pledged to kill off any chances of a second referendum and to pursue an immediate hard edit from the EU if it wins.

The UK will vote in the European elections this Thursday.

The Brexit Party is currently ahead in the UK polls while the Conservative Party is trailing behind.

National Rally, France

Marine Le Pen’s National Rally Party was formerly known as the National Front.

Le Pen has predicted this week’s vote will be “a historic feat” for far-right parties in Europe.

Five Star Movement (M5S) and the League, Italy

Italy’s populist Five Star Movement Party is led by Luigi Di Maio and is Italy’s governing populist party

But another populist group is making noise ahead of the European elections.

Anti-immigration minister Matteo Salvini heads up the League which has rallied together Europe’s populist politicians from other parties with the hope of making an impact in the EU elections.

Vox, Spain

Spain’s populist party Vox made historic ground in the recent Spanish general election. The far-right party is lead by Santiago Abascal takes an anti-immigration stance.

The party also wants to end the Spanish separatist threat posed by Catalunya and the Basque country.

Vox captured 10 percent of the vote in the last general election and now has 24 seats in Spanish parliament.

Freedom Party (FPO), Austria

Led by Heinz-Christian Strache from April 2005 until May 2019, the FPO is a member of the Europe of Nations and Freedom group in the European Parliament, as well as of the Movement for a Europe of Nations and Freedom.

The FPO is a right-wing populist party that takes a strong anti-immigration stance.

Alternative for Germany (AfD), Germany

Germany’s far-right party is lead by Jörg Meuthen and is the third largest part in the Bundestag.

The party is strongly opposed to Angela Merkel’s open migration stance.

The AfD wants to seal the EU’s borders, institute rigorous identity checks along Germany’s national borders and set up holding camps abroad to prevent migrants from leaving for Germany in the first place.

Netherlands Party for Freedom (PVV), Netherlands

The far-right PVV party calls for a strong stance on the integration of immigrants into Dutch society.

The PVV is the Netherlands third largest party and currently has 26 seats in European Parliament.

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