French voters united to block far right again – but ‘cordon sanitaire’ strategy is increasingly rare in Europe

By Owen Worth, Professor of International Politics and Director of Department of Politics and Public Administration, University of Limerick

In European politics, one specific strategy for dealing with a political party that appears a danger to the wider democratic system is to look to isolate it to make sure it does not advance politically. This process is known as “cordon sanitaire”. It’s a strategy that has been applied at local levels, at national levels and across borders within the European parliament.

In general, it has been applied to right-wing parties that appear to threaten the fabric of liberal…

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