Projections for the outcome of the European Parliament elections, whose vote concluded on Sunday (9), point to an advance by Europe’s right, challenging leaders of the continent’s greatest powers, such as President Emmanuel Macron, of France, and the Chancellor Olaf Scholz, from Germany. The overcoming of his party by Marinne Le Pen’s right made Macron dissolve the National Assembly and bring forward legislative elections that would only take place in 2027 to this month.
The results released on Sunday are based on surveys. If they are confirmed in the official count, the center-right will remain the largest party in the European Parliament and two right-wing parties will increase their seats. Thus, the center-right will still have to form a coalition to govern, but negotiations and approval of laws will become more difficult.
Around 360 million voters from the 27 countries of the European Union were eligible to participate. They voted for party candidates from their countries. Once elected, these MEPs join seven supranational parties. Therefore, the right-wing wave is an indication that centrist or center-left leaders may have difficulty governing their own countries.
In France, President Emmanuel Macron dissolved the National Assembly and called new early parliamentary elections after his Renaissance party received almost half of the votes (15.2%) compared to the National Rally party, of Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella (31, 5%).
Macron said the rise of “nationalists” would be dangerous for France and Europe. The new vote was scheduled for June 30th (first round) and July 7th (second round), if there is one.
The French National Assembly is equivalent to the Chamber of Deputies in Brazil. Macron’s objective is to reduce the strength of the right with the new elections, but the maneuver is considered risky and could have the opposite effect. His predecessors François Mitterrand and Jacques Chirac dissolved Parliament and saw the opposition (usually left-wing) gain ground.
Marine Le Pen celebrated Macron’s decision and said her party was ready “to take power if France trusts us in the national elections.”
“This historic vote shows that when people vote, they win,” he said.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was also unhappy with the results when he saw that his social democratic party was falling behind the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) and Christian Democratic Union parties.
In Spain, the center-right Popular Party won the elections and gained 22 seats, two more than the Socialist Party. The ultra-right Vox came in third place.
Center-right increases its power in the European Parliament
Projections for the European Parliament election show that the center-right European People’s Party should emerge stronger from the election. The party is expected to take 184 seats in parliament, the highest number in this election. The head of the European Commission (one of the executive bodies of the European Union) Ursula von der Leyen, who is part of the European People’s Party, said it is time to use “this strong majority” to build bridges with like-minded parties.
Further to the right than the EPP are the ECR (Conservative and Reformist) parties, which should elect 73 parliamentarians and ID (Identity and Democracy), which could have 58 seats.
Together, the three right-wing parties would not be able to form a coalition with a majority sufficient to govern. But the EPP’s current coalition with S&D (Socialists and Democrats), which is expected to elect 139 MEPs, and with Renew Europe (from Macron), which will have 80 seats, could form a majority.
Renew Europe, a liberal and pro-European Union party, lost 19 MEPs compared to the previous legislature. But the one who suffered the biggest blow at the polls was the Green Party, which must elect 53 deputies (19 less than in the previous legislature). Analysts say the Greens lost prestige for trying to impose an energy transition agenda that ended up being undermined by rising energy prices caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The Left party must elect 36 deputies, the non-aligned and independent groups are projected to reach 98 representatives together. These were the projections at the end of Sunday night.
Prime Ministers of Poland and Italy must be strengthened
In Italy, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni can breathe a sigh of relief. A poll from public television broadcaster RAI, released this Sunday, says that her party, Brothers of Italy (FDI), will win the country’s elections with around 30% of the votes. More than the positive result, the voting in recent days reaffirmed its strength.
Giorgia has led a right-wing coalition government since 2022 and is one of the few leaders among large European countries to perform well in this year’s European elections, according to the BBC.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s center-right Civic Coalition party is expected to have an advantage over the conservative and populist Law and Justice (PiS). Tusk has been saying in recent weeks that the vote for the European Parliament could determine whether the war in Ukraine will or will not spread to the European Union. Nationalist parties, left and right, have been advocating that Europe reduce military and political aid to Ukraine.
Every five years, European citizens vote for parties from their countries to form the European Parliament that will represent them in the European Union. In this tenth edition, there are around 360 million voters. In total, there are seven transnational parties for 27 countries. Voting began on Thursday and ends this Sunday.
#Rightwing #wave #dominates #elections #European #Parliament #challenges #leaders #France #Germany