Nationalists Soften to Retain Voters

Mainstream nationalist leaders appear to moderate their positions on supranational institutions to avoid losing electorally: the Financial Times item notes Viktor Orbán’s defeat was driven in part by a public desire to mend EU ties, while Marine Le Pen and Giorgia Meloni have softened EU rhetoric to stay competitive. This suggests a recurring strategic tradeoff where hard‑right parties balance ideological purity against voter pragmatism. — If nationalist parties routinely moderate to preserve broad electoral appeal, that reshapes forecasts about the durability of illiberal policy shifts in Europe and the scope for cooperation with institutions like the EU.