Right-wing political parties are nothing new to Europe. However, there has been a rise and revitalization among far-right populist parties across Europe over the past two decades. This development does not appear to be a flash in the political pan but a manifestation of deeper trends. Contributing factors include perceived and actual economic hardships, anti-immigrant sentiments, and perceived loss of autonomy under the European Union's umbrella. This study analyzes Europe's flirtations with populist parties and the current state of extreme right-wing parties in politics today. Specifically, it analyzes the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) and the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party to determine what the implications are for the success of a European identity becoming the normal status quo—and the consequences if it fails. The study concludes that should the extreme right parties continue in their successes, the EU would change radically or even disintegrate, with security implications for the United States. Specifically, if UKIP and AfD are influential in having Britain or Germany exit the EU, the European project of forging a common European identity among EU citizens would be a catastrophic failure and a notable problem for U.S. security, which relies on a stable, prosperous, and unified Europe. CHAPTER I - INTRODUCTION * A. IMPORTANCE * B. RISE OF THE EXTREME RIGHT WING IN EUROPE * 1. United Kingdom Independence Party * 2. Alternative fur Deutschland * C. POTENTIAL EXPLANATIONS AND HYPOTHESES * D. RESEARCH DESIGN * E. STUDY OVERVIEW AND SCOPE * CHAPTER II - CONSTRUCTION OF A "EUROPE" * A. WHAT MAKES A EUROPEAN? * 1. The Better West and Anti-Americanism * 2. Institutions for "Europeanization" * B. RESISTANCE AND PROBLEMS * 1. Europe's Integral Nationalist Past. * 2. Support for Populist Parties * C. CONCLUSION * CHAPTER III - THE UNITED KINGDOM INDEPENDENCE PARTY * A. THE BRITISH INTRIGUE WITH RIGHT WING EXTREMISM * B. UKIP'S OBJECTIVES * C. DEMOGRAPHICS * CHAPTER IV - THE ALTERNATIVE FUR DEUTSCHLAND * A. THE FAR RIGHT IN THE FRG * B. AFD'S OBJECTIVES * C. DEMOGRAPHICS * D. CONCLUSION * CHAPTER V - CONCLUSION To be sure, the UKIP and AfD are two prominent entries in contemporary right-wing populist politics in Europe, but they are neither unique nor unusual, especially since the euro crisis of 2008-2014, when populist parties once again became prominent on the European electoral scene and in popular discourse. Today, especially amid the crush of migrants fleeing violence in Syria and poverty in Africa and South Asia, there is a growing discontent with the European Union among many countries in Europe that manifests itself in more and more organized and polished forms of populism. More disturbing is that these extreme populist parties are gaining support in many of the seemingly established pro-EU Western powers. While some of these parties have been on the political scene, at least on the fringes, for decades, their newfound power and prevalence, as a group of like-minded parties, is unprecedented in Europe since the earliest days of the EU and recalls the unhappy record of the interwar period.