Sir Keir Starmer has said that delivering on government promises is the best way to counter “the snake oil of populism and nationalism”.

During a visit to Berlin, the Prime Minister said he was concerned about the “challenge” of right-wing populism and that the issue was something that “took up my time”.

In his first month in 10 Downing Street, Sir Keir faced a wave of unrest across England and Northern Ireland, fuelled by far-right, anti-immigration sentiment and online misinformation.

The Prime Minister said his concerns stemmed partly from the unrest in Britain this summer, but also from the situation in other European countries, including France and Germany, where far-right parties have made significant gains.

Sir Keir travelled to Paris on Wednesday evening for the opening ceremony of the Paralympics, where he will also meet President Emmanuel Macron.

It comes after a visit to Berlin, where he began talks with Chancellor Olaf Scholz on a new cooperation agreementwhich cover issues such as trade, energy security and the fight against illegal immigration.

The meetings are part of the government’s attempt to reshape relations with Europe after Brexit.

President Macron dissolved the French parliament following the European elections in June, after the far-right Rassemblement National (Rassemblement National) received the most votes in France.

In Germany, the far-right, anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) won 16 percent of the vote, defeating Scholz’s center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD).

Speaking to journalists in Berlin on Wednesday, Sir Keir said Britain must be aware of the challenge posed by populism and nationalism.

“I think that democracy and progressives have to face up to this challenge and that we have to have a common discussion about what this means across Europe and beyond. I am very interested in continuing this discussion with the progressive parties,” he said.

“And ultimately, I believe the best way to counter the snake oil of populism and nationalism is with action and honesty. That’s why I set out the tough measures in my speech yesterday, but also why I am absolutely determined that we keep the promises we made.”

He added: “It’s about a dissatisfaction with politics. The easy answer is tempting when people believe there is no better answer. That’s why progressives have to give the better answer.”

Sir Keir had previously condemned the unrest in Britain this summer as “right-wing extremist violence”.

Speaking in Downing Street’s rose garden on Tuesday, the prime minister said the riots had “revealed a deeply unhealthy society… weakened by a decade of division and decline, infected by a spiral of populism fed by the cycles of failure of the last government”.

The unrest broke out after misinformation was spread about the fatal stabbing of three young girls in Southport, falsely speculating that the suspect was an asylum seeker who had arrived in the UK by boat.