How the far right got its name

Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni listens during a session at the Italian Senate in Rome, Italy, on March 11, 2026 [Matteo Minnella/Reuters] What does it mean to be far-right? The term dates back to the origins of the left-right political divide in the late 18th century, when one of Europe’s most powerful kingdoms underwent a period of profound political upheaval. During the French Revolution, a literal divide emerged in the National Assembly, the country’s parliament. …