Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni listens during a session at the Italian Senate in Rome, Italy, on March 11, 2026 [Matteo Minnella/Reuters]What does it mean to be far-right?The term dates back to the origins of the left-right political divide in the late 18th century, when one of Europe’s most powerful kingdoms underwent a period of profound political upheaval.During the French Revolution, a literal divide emerged in the National Assembly, the country’s parliament. Defenders of the monarchy and the old order sat to the right, while revolutionary advocates of republicanism, secularism and equality occupied seats to the left.From that seating plan grew the political language we still use today.By the late 19th century, the left-right divide born in revolutionary France had become part of Europe’s political vocabulary.German Reichstag records from the period already referred to deputies on the left (links) and right (rechts), while Italian newspapers used sinistra and destra as routine political labels.The term extreme droite, in turn, came to be used as a label for the ultra-royalists, or hardline monarchists who rejected the Republic and sought a return to strong monarchical authority. Their stance sat well beyond traditional conservatives, who emphasised preserving existing institutions, gradual reform and participation in constitutional politics.By the late 19th century, European newspapers and political commentators were already using “far right” to describe anti-republican and nationalist movements, even …
