Europe’s political scene is directly affected by the rise of the far right and the small but steady appeal, in terms of youth, of the far left and the extra-parliamentary left. It is worth focusing much more on the way these political groups reach out to young people, through well-structured, context- and emotion-based political and public communication. We note that the sociopolitical frame of reference of these seemingly opposite extremes tends to be quite similar: the presence of the ‘Other’. The ‘Other’ may be a particular party, a government or even an entire social group. This is the opponent who, according to these groups, causes social, political, and economic hardships for young people: immigrants, fascists, the system itself or the government that does not produce policies that would favor the development and progress of young people. Of course, in terms of how they seek to achieve their goals, some are common (the use of the internet and social media), while others differ, such as the fact that not all the aforementioned groups lead their members to violence. Nevertheless, there are specific ones that promote their message by any means, even the use of violence. Several of these cases occur in Southern European countries. The far right has an extended sphere of influence in the European North and South. Examples of parties, political formations, and charters of groups from Europe, such as Portugal, Italy, Spain, Belgium, and Bulgaria highlight the key element that attracts the interest of young people to these political entities: their need to radically change the existing social, political and economic situation.

Key – words: Far right, far left, attraction, youth strategy, young people, Europe, violence