Standard Chartered expects Europe’s political balance to shift rightwards in 2027 as elections take place in France, Spain, Italy and Poland. The bank points to France as the main source of market risk, with the presidential vote scheduled for April 2027 and a potential win for the far-right Rassemblement National (RN) framed as a negative backdrop for assets.
A rightward tilt could be most apparent in the European Council, where consensus-driven bargaining may give far-right leaders more leverage in negotiations and encourage the use of national veto threats on matters requiring unanimity. In the European Parliament, the move could raise pressure on the centre-right European People’s Party (EPP) to co-operate more with far-right groups, while a Council that is more right-wing could narrow what Commission President von der Leyen can pursue. These dynamics may not translate into a coherent policy programme, but could still act to block or dilute parts of the existing EU agenda, affecting areas such as climate, migration and trade.
Mounting Political Risks And Market Volatility
We are looking closely at the mounting political risks in Europe as we approach the pivotal 2027 election cycle, especially in France. With right-wing populist parties maintaining strong momentum, we believe derivative traders must start hedging against European sovereign debt and equity volatility in the coming weeks. Historically, sudden political shifts in Europe have triggered sharp market sell-offs, and waiting until next year to protect portfolios will be too expensive.
Recent market data shows the French 10-year yield spread over Germany (OAT-Bund) is already hovering around a tense 75 basis points, reflecting deep-seated investor anxiety. We recommend utilizing out-of-the-money put options on the Euro, which is currently facing downward pressure near the 1.09 mark against the US Dollar. If political paralysis takes hold in Brussels and weakens the European Union’s decision-making, these foreign exchange hedges will protect against a sharper drop.
Strategic Derivative And CDS Positioning
We also suggest focusing on equity derivatives, particularly buying volatility via long straddles on the CAC 40 or Euro Stoxx 50. During the French legislative elections in 2024, the CAC 40 implied volatility index spiked by over 25% in a matter of days, showing how quickly markets react to rightward shifts. Positioning in these options now allows us to capture the inevitable price swings as debates over EU trade and climate policy gridlock intensify.
Finally, we advise traders to buy protection through credit default swaps (CDS) on French and Italian sovereign debt. As right-wing coalitions threaten to block EU fiscal coordination, the cost of insuring this debt is highly likely to rise. Acquiring these swap contracts in the coming weeks offers an asymmetric risk-reward profile before the broader market fully prices in the upcoming election risks.
