Over the past few years, the global stage has witnessed a profound ideological polarization. The influence of centrist and established ideologies has waned and in their place, nationalist ideas have established a strong mainstream presence. This trend has manifested not only in democratic societies but also underscores the rise of economic protectionism and the demand for a reassertion of cultural values. This shift is not merely a political change, but a sharp ideological reaction to the long-standing liberal global order.
Nationalist and right-wing governments are returning one after another. Sanae Takaichi has been elected as Prime Minister of Japan and President of the Liberal Democratic Party since October 2025. Geert Wilders’ Freedom Party won the most seats in the Dutch Parliament. Giorgia Meloni became Italy’s first female Prime Minister and its first far-right leader. In South Korea, conservative opposition candidate Yoon Suk-yeol was elected in one of the most closely fought elections. In Finland, Prime Minister Sanna Marin conceded defeat in the parliamentary election and the right-wing opposition National Coalition Party won with 20.7 per cent of the vote. In countries such as Hungary, Poland and Argentina, pro-nationalist governments were elected. Similarly, the victory of the Republican Party in the United States marks a comprehensive demonstration of the ideological pendulum swinging from right-wing dominance to leftist ascendancy and now back again.
In Italy, Giorgia Meloni declared her intent to defend national identity, saying, “We will defend our identity. We will defend God, country and family. And give me a reason”. In Austria and Estonia, strict border security policies were implemented. In Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu formed a nationalist coalition government. Everywhere, left-wing ideological dominance is visibly declining. In Asia, Narendra Modi represents a strong right-wing resurgence in India. Upon assuming office, Sanae Takaichi of Japan immediately began a crackdown on illegal immigration. And this is just the tip of the iceberg. Interestingly, in countries where left-wing parties still hold power, people are increasingly leaning toward nationalist ideologies. It would not be wrong to say that the fortress of the left is breaking everywhere.
But it was not always like this. The leftist ideology—rooted in communism and Marxism—was once a global superpower, ruling half the world. Today, however, that same ideology is collapsing and the countries that once followed the left model are witnessing the resurgence of the right wing. So now the question arises: why has such a powerful ideology suddenly become so weak? What is the reason behind the global rise of right-wing politics? And how is the right wing gradually dismantling the left globally? To understand this, we first need to examine why right-wing ideology initially declined and how the rise of left-wing ideologies occurred thereafter.
Before World War II, right-wing ideology dominated the world. Most countries were governed by nationalist ideologies. There were, ofcourse, a few exceptions, but overall, this worldview prevailed especially in Europe, where monarchies such as the British, French and German empires pursued a common goal: to capture as many resources as possible for their nations. This mindset justified colonization and the plundering of other countries, which was considered normal at the time. However, such imperial rivalries led to multiple wars—most notably World War I and World War II—which killed millions and devastated Europe. After these catastrophic wars, Europeans gradually realized that their ideology had a fundamental flaw. They saw that right-wing politics had drifted from nationalism toward fascism, enriching elites while impoverishing the masses.
The realization that millions of workers, farmers and soldiers died for the ambitions of the powerful led to a major ideological shift. People began to believe that, to improve society, power had to be taken away from the elites. This movement gave birth to left-wing and socialist ideologies, which argued that inequality is inherent in society and that only the state can bridge this gap. The government, therefore, should tax the rich and redistribute wealth to ensure equal opportunity.
Communism and Marxism were radical extensions of this ideology, asserting that social inequality stems from the economic system itself—in which the bourgeoisie exploits the working class and that only revolutionary force could reverse this. These ideas laid the foundation of socialism and liberal democracy. In industrial Europe, workers and trade unions began striking and protesting, demanding a fair share of profits. As these movements grew more organized, governments faced immense pressure. Some socialist parties came to power through elections; others forced existing governments to adopt welfare policies to pacify public unrest. Meanwhile, civil rights and equality movements in the United States, led by figures such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks, further strengthened leftist ideals.
Across Asia and Africa, leftist ideology became popular during independence movements, where equality and anti-imperialism went hand in hand. In Latin America, socialism became a political identity in countries such as Cuba, Chile and Venezuela. Even India, after independence, chose a mixed economy and welfare-driven socialist model rather than pure capitalism. During the Cold War, the divide deepened: capitalist America on one side, communist Soviet Union on the other. Many developing nations adopted socialist policies to resist Western imperialism. By the mid-20th century, left-wing ideology had become a global moral force. Parties, even those not ideologically socialist, began labeling themselves as center-left because socialism and liberalism had become symbols of progress. Being liberal was synonymous with being modern and moral; opposing leftist narratives was equated with fascism.
By 1960s, the left’s influence was immense. German Marxist thinker Rudi Dutschke proposed the theory of “The Long March Through the Institutions”, arguing that real change must come from within by infiltrating institutions such as schools, universities, art, media, literature and NGOs. The idea was that if an entire generation grew up immersed in leftist ideas, revolution would no longer be necessary society itself would internalize the ideology. Art, cinema, universities and media began romanticizing leftist ideals. Being leftist became fashionable among students and intellectuals.
The Frankfurt School of Marxist scholars – Carl Grünberg, Max Horkheimer, Theodor Adorno, Erich Fromm, and Herbert Marcuse, fled Nazi Germany and developed Critical Theory in the United States. Its central premise was that every social institution, religion, family, education, capitalism and gender was a site of oppression that needed to be deconstructed. From this sprang feminist, gender, race and intersectionality studies, each turning identity into a battleground of victimhood.
By the 1970s and 1980s, these ideas dominated universities. Students trained under them became journalists, policymakers and bureaucrats, eventually shaping governments, media houses and NGOs. The left had captured the information ecosystem. In the 1990s and 2000s, this ideological control spread globally, influencing elite universities in countries like India. At the same time, another dynamic emerged: Islamist groups leveraged leftist frameworks to expand their ideological influence. Massive donations from Gulf nations, estimated at $4.86 billion to Western universities such as Harvard, Georgetown, Oxford and Yale, enabled the integration of Islamist narratives into academic discourse. Thus, a tactical alliance between Islamists and the left took shape.
Consequently, radical Islamist ideologies were defended as “free speech,” while their critics were branded “Islamophobic”. In elite institutions such as Harvard and Columbia, discussions about the destruction of Israel became normalized, while in Indian campuses, anti-national and anti-Hindu rhetoric flourished.
However, this revealed a deep hypocrisy within the left. The same groups that championed human rights and LGBTQ equality ignored Islamist regimes imposing the death penalty for homosexuality or apostasy. A 2022 Pew Research survey showed that 90 per cent of Arab and North African countries maintain harsh blasphemy laws and 12 countries still impose the death penalty for homosexuality, yet the global left remains silent.
Over time, this hypocrisy and internal contradiction disillusioned the masses. People realized that much of the left’s moral posture was performative.
Several factors contributed to this disillusionment:
1. Authoritarianism: The left became what it once opposed. Mao Zedong’s Great Leap Forward led to the deaths of over 60 million people. Stalin labeled 20 million citizens as state enemies and sent them to slave camps. Cambodian dictator Pol Pot killed hundreds of thousands. The ideology that promised liberation became more brutal than fascism.
2. Economic failure: Leftist governments promoted the belief that heavy welfare and taxation would ensure equality. Instead, productivity fell, private investment declined and the middle class suffered. In Canada, 40 per cent of people blame socialist-style policies for the housing crisis. In the US, liberal administrations oversaw record inflation (up to 8 per cent) while issuing welfare packages that weakened currencies. In Latin America, 63 per cent of Brazilian families reported that their income was insufficient for basic needs.
3. Uncontrolled immigration and multiculturalism: Left-leaning governments welcomed illegal refugees without sufficient checks, eroding national identity and security. In Denmark, 30 per cent of prisoners are immigrants despite comprising 8 per cent of the population(OECD report). In the U.K., Muslims are 4 per cent of the population but 18 per cent of prisoners. In Sweden, migrants are 20 per cent of the population yet represent 47 per cent of rape cases. Similar patterns were reported in Germany, Italy and India.
4. Cultural alienation: The left made it fashionable to hate one’s own country and traditions. Supporting nationalist or cultural values was labelled “fascist”, while extremist movements were defended as “liberal”.
This moral and economic exhaustion led to a breaking point. People realized that left-wing ideology no longer protected them but threatened their existence. This frustration gave rise to a populist counter-movement, the resurgence of the right wing.
Donald Trump’s 2016 victory in the U.S. was a watershed moment, signalling a global chain reaction. Italy’s Giorgia Meloni vowed to end the leftist monopoly and defend Italy’s Christian identity. Hungary’s Viktor Orbán imposed strict immigration laws. Poland, Belgium, Finland and Sweden followed suit. In Switzerland, the conservative Swiss People’s Party remains dominant.
In Latin America, Argentina elected Javier Milei, who openly called socialism “a cancer”. His victory symbolized Latin America’s fatigue with leftist populism. Across Asia, Japan’s pro-right-wing government began enforcing tough immigration laws, while Israel’s Netanyahu strengthened nationalist policies. In India, Narendra Modi’s BJP demonstrated that nationalism and development can coexist. India proudly reclaimed its civilizational identity and adopted assertive foreign policies setting a model for others.
Even traditionally leftist or communist nations are evolving. China, officially communist, now operates one of the world’s largest capitalist economies, where ideology is symbolic, but power lies in pragmatism. In the Middle East, countries such as Saudi Arabia are shifting from hardline religious policies toward modernization and nationalism, as seen in Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030.
The global wave is not fascism, as portrayed by the left, but a reaction and a political correction. For decades, the left monopolized moral authority, academia and culture, yet its policies weakened economies, eroded traditions and fractured societies. The rise of the right is not an extremist backlash but an attempt to restore balance, responsibility and national identity in an age of global uncertainty.
Many people try to portray the political changes taking place in different parts of the world as “fascism”, but in reality, this is not a violent or repressive movement, but a natural reaction. It is an attempt to correct the imbalance created by long-standing leftist policies and thinking.
For decades, the left maintained its hold on morality, education and culture—it dictated what was right and wrong and how society should think. But its policies gradually led to economic weakness, the erosion of traditional values and social division. People began to realize that this ideology no longer solved their problems but instead exacerbated them. In this context, the rise of the right symbolizes a rebalancing. It is an attempt to reestablish the responsibility, stability and national identity that were lost in the race for modernity and ideological blindness. At a time when the world is surrounded by uncertainty and crisis, this movement reflects the deep desire of the people to return to their roots, their traditions and their identity.
Comments