Why Gen Z voters are shifitng to the right - an expert explains
Nigel Farage claimed that "something very big" is happening among Gen Z voters in Britain as Reform gains more support.
Young people across Europe are flocking to far-right parties as they look for alternatives to the current political class, researchers say.
Recent elections across Europe have shown that many far-right parties are gaining momentum.
These include Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) in Germany, Rassemblement National (National Rally) in France, Vox in Spain, the Brothers of Italy, Chega (Enough) in Portugal, Vlaams Belang (Flemish Interest) in Belgium and the Finns party in Finland.
The UK is also showing a similar rightward trend towards the amongst some young people with Nigel Farage's Reform UK.
A YouGov poll found that more voters under the age of 30 backed Reform UK than the Conservatives in the 2024 election.
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In fact, 9.5 percent of 18 to 30-year-olds backed Reform. Although, the majority of younger voters still opted for Labour and the Green Party on the left.
Mr Farage has claimed that "something very big" is happening among Gen Z voters.
He added: "The youth thing is really interesting. Something very big is happening. Gen Z are completely different to the Millennials.
"A large chunk of Gen Z want to get on- they want good jobs, they want to buy houses, they want to do stuff that their parents and grandparents were able to do.
"They're quite frustrated actually. In many cases, it appears to be beyond their fingertips to achieve those things."
In France, the National Rally led by Jordan Bardella and associated with Marine Le Pen is supported by 32 per cent of 18 to 25-year-olds, an Ifop poll found.
However, the party massively underwhelmed in the recent parliamentary election in France, where the left wing alliance won the most seats.
In Germany, the AfD is backed by 14.5 percent of 14 to 29-year-olds, according to a 'Youth in Germany' study.
Andrea Gerosa, founder of Think Young explained why this trend seems to be sweeping across Europe.
He told GB News that "today's youth are unhappier than older generations" because of the perception that "mainstream parties have failed to deliver on social issues."
He added that it is too early to say whether this trend will have longer-term ramifications, but should serve as a "wake-up call that young people across Europe believe that mainstream parties are not providing good enough answers and solutions to their problems."
Mr Gerosa continued: "Across all EU member states, more than seven out of 10 are concerned about the cost of living; 82 percent are worried about the threat of poverty and inequality.
"[This is] why young people are channeling these same concerns through far-right alternatives."
