Abdullah Abu Daif (Cairo)
Between June 6 and 9, 400 million people voted to elect 720 members of the European Parliament, and the results, in which the far-right made stunning gains, prompted French President Emmanuel Macron to call early elections in France on June 30.
The parliament works with the European Council to pass laws based on proposals from the European Commission, and it approves or rejects the budget. Analysts say the election results, which reflect a shift to the far right, could change the political landscape within the European Union.
After leading the European Parliament elections in France, Germany, Spain and Belgium, the European right is heading for a big result in the upcoming parliamentary elections across European countries.
In this context, Hussein Khader, a member of the German Socialist Party and a researcher in European affairs, said that the Ukrainian crisis and the increasing rates of immigration from the south in recent years have strengthened the popularity of the far-right, which has set priorities in its electoral programs, such as not participating in regional events, in addition to limiting illegal immigration.
Khader explained to Al-Ittihad that the right-wing parties rely on the fact that the European voter’s choices depend on not participating in regional events and the claim of the necessity of not being affected by them in light of the left and center forces’ announcement of material participation in supporting Ukraine in the Russian war, which led to a clear economic decline for the old continent.
He pointed out that the victory of the right in the current elections will have a major impact on events not only in Europe but also in the world, given the great European influence in the Middle East and Africa, as it will be decisive in determining the path of the Union and its ability to deal with these challenges collectively.
For his part, the researcher in European affairs, Ahmed Al-Yasiri, pointed out that the victory of the far-right in the elections is due to several factors, the most important of which is its primary focus on issues of identity and nationalism rather than economic or social issues, which led to a wide increase in its popularity over the past decade throughout the continent.
Al-Yasiri told Al-Ittihad that with the decline of the liberal left in many countries, the trend towards the extreme right is growing stronger, which enhances their influence and gives them more room to influence international politics.
Khaled Saad Zaghloul, a member of the French Presidential Press Association, said that the elections will help millions of Europeans shape the future of democracy on the continent. This is a unique moment that allows them to make a collective decision about the future of the Union. Voting is always important, whether at the local, national or European level, and this is an opportunity to express their opinion on the issues that concern them.
Zaghloul revealed to Al-Ittihad that the European Parliament adopts laws that concern everyone, and its legislation addresses people’s priorities in the environment, security, immigration, social policies, consumer rights, the economy, the rule of law, and many other areas. Today, every important national issue has a European angle.
He pointed out that the strength of the European Parliament comes from its ability to face global challenges that no single country in the Union can successfully address on its own. Responding to these challenges is not easy, and it allows voters to influence what should be done.
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