France, Jan. 19 -- The 27-member European Union is gearing up for parliamentary elections this June that some observers believe could be the most important polls the bloc has ever held. With commentators warning that populist right-wing parties pose an existential threat to the liberal centrism underpinning the EU,RFI asks whether fears of a resurgent far-right are merited.

Pundits are predicting that a transformative wave will sweep across the political landscape of the European Union, making 2024 the year of the so-called New Right - a moniker used to describe the normalisation of erstwhile fringe parties that are increasingly part of mainstream politics across the bloc.

The forthcoming elections in June- spanning all 27 EU nations- w...