Why are young Europeans increasingly supporting anti-immigration parties?

"Political orthodoxy tells us that younger voters tend to be more progressive on issues like immigration. But in recent years, Europe has seen anti-migrant parties surge in the polls and gain youth support across the continent. In Norway, for example, survey data shows that 24 percent of young people favour limiting immigration "to a large extent" and 23 percent "to some extent.""

"Toni Rodon, Associate Professor of Political Science at Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona, tells The Local. "The two basic explanations are the economic one and the cultural one. One idea, on economics, is that young voters are more likely to have a pessimistic outlook of the future. The reality of their economic situation, plus the perspective of their economic situation in the future, are all worse than among other cohorts of people"."

Younger voters across Europe are showing rising support for hard-right and anti-migrant parties despite expectations that youth lean progressive on immigration. Polls and surveys show notable youth backing for far-right parties in Norway, France and Germany, with measured shares of young people favouring immigration limits and voting for parties like National Rally and AfD. Explanations fall into economic and cultural categories. Economic explanations point to pessimistic outlooks and worse current and future prospects for younger cohorts. Some youth support functions as protest against poor economic prospects and a generation of status-quo politicians viewed as incapable of improving them.

Read at www.thelocal.com