A new alliance of religious extremists, far-right populists, and oligarchic funders is reshaping European politics. The Next Wave describes this covert, strategic effort to launder religious extremism into mainstream governance through media, NGOs, political parties, and public institutions.
Backed by private wealth and legitimised through state funding, this movement is engineering a long-term authoritarian transformation under the guise of tradition and care. This project exposes the financial, political, and ideological architecture of The Next Wave, equipping civil society to recognise, resist, and counter its growing influence. Philanthropic support is essential to disrupt this emerging infrastructure and defend pluralistic democracy.
About the report
The Next Wave: How Religious Extremism Is Regaining Power is a groundbreaking report that documents the accelerating financial expansion of movements working to dismantle decades of hard-won sexual and reproductive rights across Europe. Covering the 2019–2023 period, it builds on prior analyses of the anti-gender movement presented in Tip of the Iceberg (2021) and Restoring the Natural Order (2018).
Unprecedented in scope, The Next Wave offers a detailed account of the financial trajectories of over 270 anti-rights and religious extremist actors in Europe, tracing their growing access to political power, professionalisation, international networking, and — in some cases — their capture of entire institutions, political parties, and states. It also exposes emergent strategies, including the production of ideologically driven knowledge, the establishment of anti-gender service infrastructures, and the rise of elite public affairs firms and civil society fronts covertly directed by religious hierarchies.
The Next Wave is essential reading for understanding how sexual and reproductive rights in Europe are being strategically eroded — and what must be done to defend both these rights and democratic governance.
About the author
Neil Datta is the founder and Executive Director of the European Parliamentary Forum on Sexual and Reproductive Rights (EPF). Since creating the Forum in 2004 alongside a group of dedicated European lawmakers, he has guided its growth into a 30-country alliance that has helped shape dozens of national laws, policies, and budgets in support of reproductive rights — both in Europe and in low- and middle-income countries. An internationally recognised expert on the rise of anti-gender and anti-rights movements,
Neil has authored several influential reports that have informed the work of civil society groups, journalists, international organizations, and elected officials. Neil’s work has been acknowledged with awards including the 2022 Don and Arvonne Fraser Human Rights Award and the 2023 French Senate Women’s Delegation prize for his role in supporting the constitutional protection of abortion in France.
You can get access to the digital version of the publication for a contribution of €25, which supports EPF’s ongoing work.
The report is available in English / French / German.
If cost is a barrier and you are unable to pay, please contact us at [email protected].