European far-right leaders have seized on the fatal shooting of US activist Charlie Kirk to attack the left and portray themselves as victims of persecution, experts warn this strategy could further normalise extremism across the continent. Kirk, a prominent figure in Donald Trump's Maga movement, was shot in the neck while addressing students in Utah on 10 September. A 22-year-old suspect, Tyler Robinson, has been charged but his motives remain unclear.
Despite the lack of clarity, leaders including Hungary's Viktor Orbán, Spain's Santiago Abascal, France's Jordan Bardella, and Germany's Alice Weidel have used the killing to accuse the left of inciting violence. Orbán called for an end to 'hate-mongering left', while Abascal claimed 'censorship isn’t enough for them – so they resort to murder'. Bardella blamed 'dehumanising rhetoric of the left', and Weidel said Kirk was shot by 'a fanatic who hates our way of life'.
Experts say the far right is constructing a narrative of martyrdom to legitimise their positions and damage the left. Historian Pierre-Marie Delpu told Le Monde: 'Martyrdom is a social operation to transform a morally and socially unacceptable act of violence into a narrative. Here, the far right is constructing a plot and a persecution, with one executioner: the left.' Some far-right figures openly admitted capitalising on the killing, with Damien Rieu, an adviser to Marine Le Pen's niece, urging 'we should not be ashamed of politicising his death'.
The far right has taken concrete steps to exploit the incident. In the European Parliament, the ultranationalist Europe of Sovereign Nations group nominated Kirk for the Sakharov prize. At a Vox rally in Madrid, a video tribute drew loud cheers, and Italy's Giorgia Meloni told attendees Kirk's 'sacrifice shows us once again which side the violence and intolerance are on'. In London, Tommy Robinson's 'unite the kingdom' protest held a minute's silence for Kirk.
This exploitation comes as far-right parties gain ground across Europe. They are in government in Italy, Hungary, Belgium, and Slovakia, and are the most popular parties in France, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, and the UK. In Germany's North Rhine-Westphalia regional elections, the AfD nearly tripled its vote share. Experts warn that far-right policies on immigration, Islam, and the green agenda are becoming normalised as mainstream parties adopt them to retain voters.
