Small countries are more right wing

Over the past decade or so, there has been a trend for European countries to drift toward the right on the political spectrum. Even nominally leftist governments have positive views of lean governments and austerity talk. Why this? I doubt this is because suddenly the United States has become a shining example. There is something more fundamental at work.

Franto Ricka thinks it has all to do with increased tax competition. This became more prominent with the expansion from EU-15 to EU-25 around 2004, where a series of relatively small countries joined the union. Smaller countries have an interest of playing tough in tax competition, especially for capital tax rates, as they can increase revenue by lowering taxes. And this puts pressure on the larger ones. Thus, even though political preferences have not changed, political outcomes have become more right wing as Europe expanded, and voters elected as well more politicians from the right.