The right-wing populists doing well across Europe, from Marine Le Pen to Viktor Orban

Many far-right politicians across Europe target Muslims ( REUTERS )

From Hungary to France, far-right nationalists are winning elections or gaining new ground across Europe.

Here is a quick primer on some of the populist leaders from across the continent, what they believe, and what they have done or want to do.

Viktor Orban – Hungary, Fidesz

Hungarian prime minister ViktorOrban addresses supporters after declaring victory in the country's parliamentary elections (Reuters)

Prime Minister of Hungary

• Threatening to shut down NGOs that help refugees

• Running state backed hate campaign against George Soros

• Removing constitutional checks and balances

We have replaced a shipwrecked liberal democracy with a 21st-century Christian democracy

Viktor Orban

Matteo Salvini – Italy, Lega

League party leader MatteoSalvini talks during a news conference the day after Italy’s parliamentary elections (Reuters)

Leader of Italy’s junior governing party

• Has pledged to deport 500,000 irregular migrants

• Says joining the euro was a mistake

• Wants to end sanctions against Russia

The only antidote to racism is to control, regulate and limit immigration

Matteo Salvini

Heinz-Christian Strache – Austria, FPO

Heinz-Christian Strache of the FPO and his coalition partner Sebastian Kurz of the OVP (Getty)

Deputy prime minister of Austria

• Wants to drive Islam out of public life Austria

• Threatening mosque closures

• Wants to end sanctions against Russia

Let us put an end to this policy of Islamisation as soon as possible

Heinz-Christian Strache

Marine Le Pen – France, Front National

Marine Le Pen talks to journalists (Getty)

Runner-up in French presidential election

• Wants policies to favour ‘native’ French 

• Says she would hold an EU referendum 

• Wants to deport irregular migrants

I’m not offended when I hear President Donald Trump say ‘America first’. In fact, I want America first for the American people, I want Britain first for the British people and I want France first for the French people

Marine Le Pen

Janez Janša – Slovenia, Slovenian Democratic Party

JanezJansa, leader of the Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS), speaks to the media and supporters after the general election in Ljubljana (REUTERS)

Leader of Slovenia’s largest party

• Says country is run by secretive former Communist cabal

• Appointed political allies to press agencies

• Sent to prison for alleged corruption but overturned by Constitutional Court

Our party puts Slovenia, Slovenians first

Janez Janša

Alexander Gauland  – Germany, AfD

Mr Gauland, co-lead candidate of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) at an election count (Getty)

Leader of first far-right party in the Bundestag in decades

• Says Islam is not a part of Germany

• Wants ban on public Islamic symbols

• Wants to leave the euro 

 

A German or English football team hasn’t been German or English in the classical sense for a long time

Alexander Gauland

Jarosław Kaczyński – Poland, Law and Justice

Leader of Law and Justice party JaroslawKaczynski, the power behind the scenes in the Polish government (KacperPempel/Reuters)

Chairman of Poland’s governing party

• Says migrants spread infectious diseases

• Wants to ban gay people from being teachers

• Constitutional changes to give government more power over courts

It is absolutely clear a homosexual should not be a teacher

Jarosław Kaczyński