Europe’s Right-Wing Leaders Reframe Climate Action to Fit a Nationalist Agenda

[Social Media]

 

As the world contends with climate change, Europe’s right-wing leaders are crafting a unique approach that blends climate action with nationalist priorities, offering a blueprint for conservative climate diplomacy. While Donald Trump has signaled plans to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris Agreement if he returns to office, leaders in Europe’s right-wing governments are taking a different path. This year’s COP29 climate summit in Baku showcased how nationalist leaders in Europe, such as Italy's Giorgia Meloni and Hungary’s Viktor Orbán, are reconciling their political ideals with elements of climate action.

 

Although right-wing populism is generally linked with less aggressive climate measures, governments from Italy to Turkey are advancing climate initiatives. Their motivations include protecting economic interests and preventing climate-driven migration. Some leaders, particularly Azerbaijan's Ilham Aliyev, have used climate summits as a platform to "greenwash" authoritarian regimes or to soften the perception of their fossil fuel industries.

With notable absences from the summit, including Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz and France’s President Emmanuel Macron, the stage was set for right-wing leaders to steer Europe’s presence at COP29. A close look at their approaches reveals a "green playbook" focused on economic gains, curbing migration, promoting nuclear energy, defending local industries, and showcasing leadership.

 

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán set the tone by asserting his opposition to burdensome environmental regulations while praising his country’s progress in clean technology. “We are positioning ourselves to be a significant player in electric vehicle development and electricity storage,” he said, reflecting a push to profit from the booming green economy. A European climate negotiator described this approach as pragmatic, noting that “our companies see they can make money from the green transition… the earlier you start, the bigger a winner you’ll be as a company or a country.”

 

For Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, migration policy intersects with climate. She argues that funding climate action in developing regions like Africa could reduce migration to Europe by creating local opportunities. Italy, under Meloni, has taken steps to expand economic partnerships with African nations, aiming to improve infrastructure and job creation. Last year, Italy pledged €100 million to a fund supporting countries impacted by climate disasters, while a €4 billion initiative has been set up for climate action abroad. At COP29, Meloni emphasized Italy’s ongoing commitment, stating, “Italy intends to continue to do its part.”

 

Right-wing leaders also emphasized nuclear energy as a clean yet stable power source. Poland’s President Andrzej Duda declared, “I believe that nuclear is [the] future and it is only nuclear that will help us to achieve our climate goals.” This view was echoed by Slovakia’s President Peter Pellegrini, who emphasized nuclear power’s role in achieving climate neutrality.

 

Immigration concerns were woven into these discussions, with Orbán criticizing climate legislation that, in his view, places undue burdens on European farmers. “We cannot sacrifice our industry for agriculture… We cannot impose unrealistic quotas or burdensome rules on farmers,” he declared. Duda, addressing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, also linked regional security to climate concerns, stating, “Russian aggression against Ukraine has shown us that armed conflicts also result in serious environmental damage and pollution.”

 

While some right-wing leaders used the summit to highlight their own environmental efforts, they remained cautious about embracing a full green agenda. Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, for instance, avoided mentioning his country’s conflict with Ukraine and instead committed to “the wellbeing of future generations.” Similarly, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan promoted his country’s ambitions to host COP31, even though Turkey only ratified the Paris Agreement three years ago.

 

Italian Prime Minister Meloni wrapped up her address with a perspective that encapsulates this nationalist climate approach. “We must protect nature,” she said, “with man at its core.” The speeches at COP29 show how Europe’s right-wing leaders are blending climate action with nationalist rhetoric, positioning themselves as pragmatic stewards of both environmental and national interests.

 

Based on a report by Politico 2024-11-16