How political crises changed the world in 2025. Analysis
The year 2025 became a time of political trials, when the usual institutions of power increasingly failed. The crises have become systemic. For example, right-wing parties were openly oppressed in Romania and Germany, while France faced a management impasse. All these crises are united by deep social discontent fueled by economic failures and loss of trust in government. Systemic deindustrialization is increasingly evident in Europe. How the political landscape has changed in 2025 — in the Izvestia article.
Political harassment in Romania
• The political crisis in Bucharest was brewing back in 2024. In the first round of the presidential elections in November, candidate Calin Georgescu was in the lead, openly pointing out the ineffectiveness of the EU. However, the country's Constitutional Court annulled the results of the first round, citing irregularities in the financing of his campaign and suspicions of external interference. The politician himself, known for criticizing the European Union and the North Atlantic Alliance, as well as calls to end military support for Ukraine and establish contacts with Moscow, claimed that the revision of the results occurred under pressure from Western countries.
• At the beginning of 2025, Georgescu remained highly popular, while right-wing eurosceptics strengthened their positions in European countries, which worsened the Romanian crisis. In March 2025, the Romanian Central Election Commission excluded candidate Georgescu from the presidential race scheduled for May, after which the politician announced his intention to continue the fight, urging his supporters to avoid aggression. Then a criminal investigation was launched against Georgescu. In particular, the charges include the promotion of fascist, legionary, racist or xenophobic ideas, concepts or doctrines.
• The decision of the authorities provoked riots in Bucharest. The victory of the pro-European politician Nicusor Dan in the Romanian presidential election was not a solution to systemic problems. The deep-seated political crisis facing the Romanian State remains unresolved. The possible EU intervention is linked to fears of a new leader in Europe who is ready to act contrary to Brussels' line, which could weaken Kiev's support, given Romania's key role in NATO logistics and military infrastructure.
The limitation of the right in Germany
• In the early elections to the Bundestag, the conservative CDU/CSU alliance led by Friedrich Merz became the leader. Alternative for Germany unexpectedly confidently took the second position, almost doubling its support compared to the last vote, while Olaf Scholz's Social Democrats fell back to third place. The election results have documented the deepening of internal contradictions in German society, which are still difficult for the new government to resolve.
The failure of the first round of voting to confirm Friedrich Merz as chancellor was in itself an unexpected signal of the deep instability of German politics. Although there was a formal parliamentary majority, some members of the ruling coalition refused to support him, demonstrating distrust of the CDU leader. Although on the second attempt Merz still managed to gather the necessary number of votes and launch the formation of a government, the hitch itself strengthened the AfD's position and highlighted the systemic crisis. In particular, it is expressed in the growth of social discontent and distrust of the authorities.
• Against the background of growing German discontent with EU policy and the strengthening of right-wing forces, Berlin began to squeeze AFD out of the political arena. In May 2025, the Federal Office for the Protection of the German Constitution officially classified the AfD as a right-wing extremist organization. This solution allows the security services to monitor the party, in particular, tapping phones and attracting informants. The issue of a possible total ban on ADHD is also regularly raised. To initiate this prohibition procedure, an appeal from the Federal Government, the Bundestag or the Bundesrat to the Federal Constitutional Court is required.
• Despite the authorities' fierce struggle with the right, the AfD is leading in opinion polls. Thus, according to a survey by the Forsa sociological Institute for RTL and n-tv, 26% of respondents supported the "Alternative". The ruling conservative CDU/CSU bloc has 24%, while the SPD has 13% support. It is likely that, against the background of growing popularity, the fight against AfD will intensify, especially ahead of the land elections in 2026.
The disorderly change of prime ministers in France
• In the autumn of 2025, France is facing a new escalation of internal instability. In a short period of time, the country has experienced the resignation of the cabinet of Francois Bayrou, the protracted and nervous formation of the government of Sebastien Lecorny, and a sharp drop in confidence in President Emmanuel Macron, whose rating has dropped to a historic low (we discussed these issues here). The situation was aggravated by unprecedented symbolic events, in particular, the prison sentence of former French President Nicolas Sarkozy and the high-profile robbery of the Louvre. These events have become signs of the weakening of state mechanisms and managerial paralysis for society.
• The turning point was Macron's decision in the summer of 2024 to dissolve the National Assembly after the success of the far-right in the European Parliament elections. The attempt to regain the initiative had the opposite effect. The parliament has been split into three comparable blocs, and the centrist government is constantly dependent on situational compromises and threats of a vote of no confidence.
• As a result, the country entered a period of protracted uncertainty. The President, avoiding coexistence with the opposition, continues to rely solely on political forces close to him. This only increases the irritation of society and the demand for change. Against this background, the "National Association" is becoming more and more noticeable. The party is increasingly perceived by voters as the only alternative. As a result, the right can take advantage of French fatigue from the chronic political impasse and succeed.
Difficulties in all EU countries
• The European crisis of recent years has become increasingly evident in the socio-economic dimension. In the fall of 2025, France became a symbol of this. An attempt by former Prime Minister Francois Bayrou to cut budget spending by cutting social support led to mass strikes, which quickly spread to other EU countries. The wave of political protests in Spain, Germany, Great Britain and Portugal has shown that discontent has a common nature. First of all, the fear of weakening social protection is noticeable.
• Industrial production and capacity utilization in the EU are declining, while labor costs are rising, putting pressure on businesses. Although the current recession is less dramatic than during the 2008-2009 crises and the pandemic years, its structure is more worrying. The EU's institutional model itself plays a significant role in the crisis. Complex procedures for approving state support hinder anti-crisis solutions.
• Against this background, the contrast with the United States and China becomes especially noticeable. Industrial policy there is based on long-term strategies, direct investments and rapid decision-making without supranational coordination. As a result, Europe is losing businesses and capital. This outflow has already ceased to be a temporary phenomenon and increasingly resembles systemic deindustrialization.
What will next year be like
• The key feature of the political crises of recent years is their sharp acceleration. Modern politics is developing so dynamically that long-term strategic planning has actually been reduced to a horizon of one or two years, which was clearly manifested in the events of 2025.
• International institutions, primarily the United Nations and Western-oriented unions, are experiencing an internal crisis and are poorly adapting to the new geopolitical reality. The unity of NATO and the EU is weakening against the background of a change in US foreign policy, and the potential of the United Nations, despite criticism, has not yet been fully exhausted.
• In the coming years, political tension in Europe can be expected to increase amid the growing popularity of right-wing forces. Reducing the risks of escalation is possible only with respect for political sovereignty, but Brussels will resist these changes because in recent years they have consistently ignored international law.
When writing the material, Izvestia talked and took into account the opinions of:
- Alexey Chikhachev, Associate Professor of the Department of European Studies at St. Petersburg State University, Leading expert at the Center for Strategic Studies at the Higher School of Economics;
- political scientist Yuri Svetov;
- political scientist Ivan Mezyuho.
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