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Shock figures reveal how European voters are increasingly turning against the pampered liberal elite in favour of strong politicians who they believe will better serve their interests. Of 12 EU countries ranked by the level of support for populist politicians, who are predominantly eurosceptic, authoritarian leaders scored more than 40 per cent of the vote in all but four. And in a particularly worrying sign for the Brussels establishment Britain - which has already voted to leave - is far from top of the list when it comes to disdain for the out of touch elite.

PA/AFP/GETTY Populism is on the march across Europe, a new poll suggests

Experts today said the “potentially enormous” results should act as a wake-up call to politicians and that they could have “serious implications for Europe as a whole”. The survey will sound yet more alarm bells for a hitherto complacent euro elite, coming on the back of shock victories for Brexit in the UK and Donald Trump in the US. And they provide hugely worrying portents for eurocrats in three key member states set to undergo crunch elections next year which are likely to be dominated by Europe’s failings.

EXPRESS Populist parties are now hugely popular in many EU countries

YouGov Eurosceptic parties are making huge gains on the continent

Brussels bureaucrats will be especially alarmed by the outcome for France, where a huge 63 per cent of voters expressed their preference for populist leaders over mainstream politicians. Right-wing leader Marine Le Pen, head of the anti-EU Front National, is expected to reach at least the second round in the country’s presidential election next spring and is riding high in the polls. If she were to perform a Trump-like surprise victory by beating the mainstream conservatives to the Elysee Palace she has promised to pull France out of the EU in a move which would surely spell the end for the bloc. Elsewhere, in Holland, backing for predominantly anti-immigrant, anti-Brussels politicians is also hugely on the rise, with 55 per of voters lending them their backing. The results will provide a huge boost for the eurosceptic leader Geert Wilders, whose party is currently neck and neck with the ruling conservatives going into next March’s general election.

The rise of authoritarian populism could be the defining political phenomenon of the next decade Pollsters YouGov

And finally in Italy, which could face its own election at the start of next year, some 47 per cent of voters expressed a preference for authoritarian leaders. If current premier Matteo Renzi loses a referendum on constitutional reform next month he has promised to resign, sparking a ballot at which the eurosceptic Five Star Movement would be expected to hoover up huge numbers of votes. The bombshell poll was carried out by YouGov in conjunction with Britain’s Regius Professor of Political Science, David Sanders, who is from the University of Essex. It asked voters in 12 EU states whether they preferred mainstream liberal politicians or “authoritarian populism” (AP) - a catch-all phrase for strong, anti-establishment politics. The pollsters concluded: “The results may well be cause for concern for politicians in mainstream established parties across the continent. The implications for electoral success are potentially enormous. “Should a politician or party be able to find a way to unite significant numbers of AP voters under their banner, they will be able to issue a serious challenge to the established political order. “France in particular has a high proportion of voters with AP sentiment. If a candidate there can unite this group behind them it could have serious implications for not just France but Europe as a whole.”

They added that, even if anti-EU parties do not win power in the upcoming elections, the surge in support for them will inevitably influence the policies and rhetoric of mainstream parties. There has already been evidence in abundance of this fact in Italy where europhile Mr Renzi has launched a series of blistering attacks on the EU in a bid to ward off the populist uprising in his own backyard. The pollsters write: “What concessions authoritarian populist parties could win from more established political parties remains to be seen, but they could be hugely significant. “Ultimately, there is a very real chance that the rise of authoritarian populism could be the defining political phenomenon of the next decade, and not just in Europe, but across developed democracies.”

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