At a time when Europe’s democracies face growing pressure from the far right, trade unions remain one of the strongest forces defending equality, dignity and democratic participation. Speaking at the Canadian Trade Union Congress on Defending Our Democracies, alongside CLC-CTC President Bea Bruske and AFL-CIO President Liz Schumer, industriAll Europe General Secretary Judith Kirton-Darling warned that rising support for authoritarian and nationalist movements cannot be understood without recognising the economic insecurity experienced by millions of working people across Europe.

After decades of wage stagnation, precarious work, housing crises and weakened welfare states, many workers feel abandoned by political systems that no longer deliver security or fairness. “People are not voting for greater inequality,” Judith Kirton-Darling argued. “They are voting against a system that has stopped delivering security, dignity and voice.”

Across Europe, formal democratic structures remain intact, but industrial democracy, built on collective bargaining, social dialogue and strong trade unions , has been systematically weakened. Privatisation, austerity policies and corporate short-termism have eroded public services, reduced bargaining coverage and widened inequality. At the same time, attacks on trade union rights are intensifying, from union busting in multinational companies to the dismantling of collective protections in several European countries.

Judith Kirton-Darling stressed that support for the far right is driven less by ideology than by insecurity, declining living standards and a loss of control over everyday life. Far-right parties exploit these fears through scapegoating and economic misdirection, presenting migrants, climate policies or democratic institutions as the source of social decline while promoting policies that would further increase inequality.

“The far right does not create the anger, it formats it,” she said.

Drawing on lessons from Brexit and the broader rise of authoritarian politics in Europe, Judith Kirton-Darling called for a renewed commitment to international trade union solidarity. She warned that far-right and authoritarian forces are increasingly coordinated across borders and supported by well-financed networks, while progressive movements have often underestimated the scale and urgency of the threat.

Yet she also pointed to recent victories as evidence that the far right is not inevitable. In Hungary, Viktor Orbán’s defeat after sixteen years in power demonstrated that organised resistance focused on corruption, cost of living concerns and democratic fairness can overcome authoritarian politics. In Italy, trade unions and civil society successfully mobilised against attempts to weaken democratic checks and balances.

The key lesson is clear: democracy is defended when people feel agency in their everyday lives. “These battles were not won through abstract speeches about democracy. They were won by linking democracy to wages, public services, fairness and dignity at work.” Stated Judith Kirton-Darling.

Parts of the political left have become disconnected from working-class realities, often appearing technocratic and distant from everyday concerns. Rebuilding trust requires returning to concrete issues such as decent jobs, affordable housing, pensions, healthcare and education, while speaking in a language rooted in workers’ lived experience.

For industriAll Europe, strengthening trade union power remains central to democratic renewal. Organising precarious and white-collar workers, investing in workplace organising and defending democracy at work are essential to rebuilding collective power in rapidly changing labour markets.

“Europe reminds us that the far right advances when workers lose ground, and retreats when unions help them take it back. Defending democracy starts where people work, organise and win together.” Concluded Judith Kirton-Darling