Europe Shifts Rightward: French President Announces Fresh Polls
In France, the right-wing populist party RN (National Rally) led by Marine Le Pen earned approximately 32% of the votes, surpassing Macron's Renaissance list. In Austria, the right-wing populist FPO came out on top with 25.7% of the votes, outpacing the current ruling conservative party OVP.
French President Macron labeled this outcome unfavorable for all pro-Europeans. During a televised address, he announced upcoming parliamentary elections on June 30th.
Italy's post-fascist party Fratelli d'Italia, headed by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, is projected to secure at least 27% of the votes. This represents a major increase from five years ago when they only received 6% of the votes.
With the recent gains from Germany, France, Italy, and Austria, the far-right bloc in the European Parliament has grown stronger. However, the largest faction remains the EPP (European People's Party). EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who had campaigned as the conservative candidate for the EPP, declared victory for the pro-European camp in Brussels. "Our mission is to construct a defensive wall against left- and right-wing extremists," she expressed at an event with EPP leader Manfred Weber (CSU). Von der Leyen aspires to secure a second five-year term as the Commission's head.
The updated calculations indicate that the EPP has won 184 (previously 176) out of the 720 seats in the recently elected European Parliament. The second-biggest party is still the Social Democrats, holding steady with 139 seats. The Liberals and Greens encountered significant setbacks.
The two far-right alliances gained numbers: The European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR), in which the Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni's party resides, has expanded from 69 to 73 seats. The second far-right faction, Identity and Democracy (ID), represents an increase from 49 to 58 representatives.
The ID incorporates Le Pen's right-wing populists and the Austrian FPO. The controversial AfD was recently dismissed from the ECR due to lead candidate Maximilian Krah's discussions regarding the SS. The AfD had also drawn criticism due to accusations of Russian influence against Krah and second candidate Petr Bystron. Both individuals are currently being investigated for implications of Russian influence.
The Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's nation-conservative party Fidesz experienced setbacks, despite having secured 44% of the votes. In comparison to five years ago, when they held 52.5% of the votes, this is a substantial decrease. The new Tisza Party of oppositional politician Peter Magyar progressed from zero to around 30% of the votes.
In the Netherlands, Geert Wilders' right-wing populist party for Freedom (PVV) attained the second strongest position with 17.7% of the votes.
The European elections transpired amidst the ongoing wars in Ukraine and Gaza, as well as concerns surrounding climate change, social security, and migration.
Around 360 million Europeans were expected to cast their votes. The overall turnout was estimated to be approximately 51%, similar to 2019 levels. In Germany, the turnout was considerably higher, reaching around 65%.
