A new international poll conducted by London-based Public First has found that patriotism has become a politically coded concept, with right-wing parties across Western democracies now more strongly associated with national pride than their center-right or centrist competitors. The findings reveal the extent to which far-right populist movements have successfully claimed nationalism as central to their political identities over the past decade.
The June survey of adults in the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany and Spain found that respondents consistently linked expressions of patriotism — including statements like being "proud to be" a citizen — with parties on the far right rather than mainstream conservative or centrist options. In the U.S., 38 percent of respondents said they would expect someone who said they were proud to be American to support Republicans, compared with 23 percent who said Democratic Party.
What the Left Is Saying
Progressive voices say the poll reflects how decades of political maneuvering by right-wing movements have successfully rebranded patriotism as exclusively theirs. They argue that the left has ceded ground on national symbols and identity politics, allowing conservative parties to claim ownership of displays of civic pride.
Kevin Madden, a longtime Republican communications strategist in Washington who was quoted in the POLITICO report, offered a different perspective, saying polarization is coloring how citizens view patriotism through a partisan lens. "Political polarization is coloring views through a left-right, us-versus-them political lens," he said. "That lens changes based on whether people's preferred party is in charge or not." The poll results come as centrist and left-leaning parties across the West grapple with how to reclaim patriotic symbols without appearing to co-opt nationalist rhetoric that critics associate with exclusionary politics.
What the Right Is Saying
Conservative commentators point to the polling data as validation of their argument that patriotic values align naturally with center-right political philosophy. They argue that policies prioritizing border security, national sovereignty and cultural cohesion reflect genuine expressions of civic pride rather than exclusion.
The poll found that Trump-style "Make America Great Again" rhetoric resonates strongly among right-wing voters in Europe. Seventy percent of Reform U.K. supporters said such language would make them feel more positive about a candidate, along with 68 percent of France's National Rally and 77 percent of Spain's Vox party members. Right-leaning analysts say this reflects authentic voter preferences rather than manufactured political branding — that citizens who prioritize national identity naturally gravitate toward parties that share those priorities.
What the Numbers Show
The polling data reveals a stark divergence between personal patriotism and perceived expressions of civic pride: In the U.S., 68 percent of adults said they were proud to be American, including majorities among both Trump 2024 voters and Harris voters. Yet when asked about people who publicly express national pride, respondents were significantly more likely to associate them with Republicans than Democrats by a 15-point margin (38 versus 23 percent).
International comparisons showed similar patterns: In the United Kingdom, 29 percent of adults associated someone saying they were proud to be British with Nigel Farage's Reform U.K., compared with 13 percent for the center-right Conservative Party. France saw 30 percent linking patriotic expressions to Marine Le Pen's National Rally. Germany's AfD led at 35 percent, while Spain's Vox drew 29 percent. The gap between far-right and mainstream right parties ranged from 6 points in Germany to 16 points in the United Kingdom.
The Bottom Line
The polling data presents a paradox: personal national pride remains broadly nonpartisan across Western democracies, yet public expressions of that patriotism are now strongly associated with far-right political movements. This creates a strategic challenge for center-left and centrist parties seeking to compete on issues of national identity without adopting rhetoric they view as exclusionary.
The trend has been decades in the making, beginning with conservative parties' embrace of patriotic messaging around sovereignty and immigration in the early 2000s and accelerating through the rise of Trump-style populism. What remains unclear is whether center-left parties can successfully reclaim patriotic symbols or whether national pride will remain a political asset primarily for right-wing movements.
What to watch: Whether progressive parties attempt new approaches to patriotic messaging ahead of upcoming elections, particularly in Germany where regional elections are scheduled for September and the AfD has made patriotism central to its platform.