Europe’s Elites Face Real Fascists On Their Streets After Unleashing Migrant Tsunami And Demonizing Conservatives

Europe’s political establishment is facing a growing nationalist backlash over years of permissive immigration policies, with young Europeans taking to the streets to demand tougher borders and an end to mass migration.

From Italy to Spain and France, demonstrations have attracted thousands of participants, ranging from conventional conservatives demanding immigration reform to openly fascist organizations embracing the symbols of Europe’s authoritarian past. While some marchers carry torches and perform Roman salutes, others are ordinary nationalists concerned about their countries’ borders, highlighting the distinction between conservative movements and extremist groups seeking to capitalize on public frustration.

And their concerns about the scale of immigration are backed by official statistics, with asylum applications in the European Union surging from approximately 260,000 in 2010 to more than 1.3 million in 2015, according to the European Council. The influx, driven partly by wars in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, coincided with approximately 1.8 million detected irregular border crossings in 2015 alone, according to the European Council.

The migration pressures persisted into the following decade, with first-time asylum applications climbing to approximately 1.05 million in 2023 after declining during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Eurostat. Although applications declined to approximately 669,400 in 2025, millions of Ukrainians displaced by Russia’s invasion were also living under temporary protection across the bloc, according to the European Council.

The fascist label has also been directed at electoral conservatives, with British Reform UK council leader George Finch alleging he was called a “fascist” before an assault, according to The Guardian.

In Germany, a Guardian opinion column linked opposition to the AfD with combating fascism, although a German court subsequently blocked authorities from designating the entire party as confirmed extremist pending a final ruling, Reuters reported.

The nationalist demonstrations take on new significance as widespread unrest grips France and Italy, where rioters looted Milan storefronts, torched vehicles and set the historic city hall in Limoges ablaze during October protests, according to the Associated Press. Some of the “protestors” allegedly crossed the line into terrorism when they decided to openly carry firearms.

In Milan, approximately 2,000 demonstrators marched through the streets on April 29, carrying Italian flags and torches before performing Roman salutes in unison, according to Reuters and ANSA.

One video uploaded by a far-right account on X shows the Roman Salutes at the finale of the march. The video was corroborated and can be seen from a different angle in an article uploaded by Italian news agency La Stampa.