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A series of elections around the world will be deciding if the world as we know it will remain intact.

 

Before last May’s G7 meeting in Tokyo, Martin Selmayr: Senior Brussels official, tweeted out what he described as the world's populist “horror scenario”.

 

He said, “Imagine, if instead of Barack Obama, François Hollande, David Cameron and Matteo Renzi, next year’s summit were to feature Donald Trump, Marine Le Pen, Boris Johnson and Beppe Grillo.”

 

He predicted Donald Trump's success in the American presidential elections correctly, and was almost right about Johnson who didn’t get the job of Prime Minister after Cameron resigned following the Brexit vote. He did, however end up slipping into the position of foreign secretary.

 

Further still Renzi, the former prime minister of Italy has resigned. It’s eerie how strikingly similar the situation is to Britain and their exit from the EU. This brings the potential of Grillo’s fiercely anti-establishment Five Star Movement of gaining power. It has become a bigger possibility than anyone had ever feared it could be as the potential for an early election brews in the country.

 

Over the next 12 months there will be many history deciding elections taking place. Many of which are very close races between traditional parties and leaders and the extreme anti-establishment supporters who won in the cases of Trump, the Brexit vote, and Italy.

 

The 15th of March is election day in the Netherlands. The Eurosceptic, anti-Islam Party for Freedom led by Geert Wilders is tied in the polls with Prime Minister Mark Rutte in the liberal VVD.

 

France, will be in their first round of presidential elections on April 23. Marine Le Pen, leader of the far-right, anti-European Front National party, is expected to advance to the next stage the following month.

 

Germany votes later, in federal elections that see potential for the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) to enter parliament as the third-largest party. This is after the current leader Angela Merkel established an open door policy for the refugee crisis which has been met with strong backlash from the citizens of Germany.  

 

October brings the Czech Republic general elections which the populists of the Action of Dissatisfied Citizens (ANO), are projected to win. This will bring new ideals into parliament from the former administration of the Party of Civic Rights.

 

It is believed that the increase in the popularity of these extremist groups is because citizens feel their concerns are being swept under the rug and ignored while the leaders run the country with their own agenda in mind.

All of this is creating political unrest in Europe. If far-right parties are to win in powerful countries such as France and Germany, it will certainly cause the whole of Europe to be shaken. The far right parties that are becoming popular now are against involvement in the European Union and will seriously consider withdrawal. If this comes to fruition it will be the end of the powerful 60 year organisation that has united the countries of Europe and made it into a fierce global competitor.