Rights and wrongs: the political threat to Europe's economy

权利与是非:政治对欧洲经济的威胁

Editor's Picks from The Economist

2025-09-09

8 分钟

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A handpicked article read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist. The European hard right is gaining ground in the polls across much of the continent. This should worry not just liberals but anyone concerned with Europe's economic prosperity. Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—subscribe to Economist Podcasts+. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.
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  • The Economist. Hello, this is Rosie Bloor,

  • co-host of The Intelligence, our daily news and current affairs podcast.

  • Welcome to Editors Pics.

  • We've chosen an article from the latest edition of The Economist that we thought you might enjoy.

  • Please do have a listen.

  • Insurgents who want to smash the system often end up running it.

  • For Europe's hard right, that outcome is already a glimmer on the horizon.

  • They are ahead in the polls or their abouts.

  • In Britain, France and Germany.

  • In Italy, they are in power.

  • In the Netherlands, they briefly led a coalition.

  • And in Poland, in June, their presidential candidate saw off the nominee from the centre.

  • By 2027,

  • the hard right could be an office in economies worth getting on for half of the European GDP.

  • That would be a grave blow to European prosperity.

  • The direct threat is the hard right's use of power.

  • They sneer at technocratic management,

  • vow to protect voters from competition and creative destruction,

  • and instead offer a seductive combination of handouts and tax cuts.

  • Outright electoral success would mean more economic stagnation or even rolling bond market blow-ups.