Media coverage of the 2024 elections for the European Parliament in the UK and Turkey: outsiders’ perspectives on the rise of the far right

Abstract This article extends research on European Parliament media coverage beyond member states to examine how media in two non-European Union (EU) countries with contrasting relationships to the bloc, a former member and a stalled candidate, interpret a watershed electoral moment marked by the unprecedented 2024 far-right surge, which may reshape their relationship with the EU. It investigates a comprehensive corpus of online news articles from ideologically diverse outlets in both countries during the election period and the immediate aftermath in order to capture both initial reactions and subsequent reflections. Thematic analysis of ideologically diverse outlets reveals that while both countries’ media emphasized the impact of far-right success over its causes, notable divergences emerged: Turkish media engaged more deeply with structural explanations and maintained alignment with European political dynamics, while UK media exhibited post-Brexit detachment and distinctive environmental policy concerns. Turkish outlets across the spectrum share critical perspectives on European power absent from UK coverage, while UK right-leaning media frame European instability to affirm national choices. These patterns illuminate how national positioning and ideological orientation jointly shape media discourse about EU affairs in countries at the bloc’s periphery.