Far-right parties rattled the traditional powers in the European Union (EU) and made major gains in parliamentary elections on June 10, 2024 dealing a crushing defeat to the French President Emmanuel Macron. On a night where the 27-member bloc palpably shifted to the right, Italian Pm Giorgia Meloni mire than doubled her seats in the EU parliament.
And even if the alternative for the German extreme right party was hounded by the scandal involving candidates, it still rallied enough seats to sweep past the slumping Social Democrats of Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
Sensing a threat from the far-right, the Chirstian Democrats of the EU Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen had already shifted to the far-right on migration and climate ahead of the elections and it rewarded by remaining by far the largest group in the 720 seat European parliament and defacto brokers of the ever-expanding power of the legislature.
Undoubtedly, however, the star on a stunning electoral night was the National Rally Party of Marine Le Pen, which dominated the French polls to such an extent that Macron immediately dissolved the national parliament and called for new elections. It was a massive political risk since his party could suffer more losses, hobbling the rest of his presidential term that ends in 2027.
Le Pen was delighted to accept the challenge. “We were ready to turn the country around ready to defend the interests of the French and ready to put an end to massive immigration,” she said, echoing the rally cry of so many far-right leaders in other European Countries who were celebrating substantial wins. Her National Rally Party won over 30 percent or about twice as many as Macron’s pro-European centrist Renew Party that is projected to reach less than 15 percent.
Macron acknowledged the thud of defeat. “I have heard your message, your concerns, and I won’t leave them unanswered,” he said adding that calling a snap election only underscored his democratic credentials.
In Germany, the most populous nation in the 27-member bloc projected indications that the AFD overcame a string of scandals involving its top candidate to rise to 16.5 percent up from 11 percent in 2019. In comparison, the combined result for the three parties in the German governing coalition barely topped 30 percent.
Scholz suffered such an ignominious fate that his long established Social Democratic Party fell behind the extreme right Alternative for Germany, which surged in the second place. After all the prophecies of doom after the barrage of few weeks, we are the second strongest force, AFD leader Alice Weidel said.
Overall, across the EU, two mainstream and pro-European groups the Christian Democrats and the Socialists remained the dominant forces. The gains of the far-right came at the expense of the Greens, who were expected to lose about 20 seats and fall back to the sixth position in the legislature. Macron’s Renew group also lost big.
For decades, the European Union, which has its roots in the defeat of Nazi Germany and fascist Italy confined the hard right to the political fringes ranging. With its strong showing in these elections, the far right could now become major players in policies ranging from migration and security and climate. To stave that off, Von der Leyen offered to build a coalition with the Social Democrats and the pro-business liberals. Since thr Christian Democrats won seats while the other two lost, Von der Leyen can do so because from a position of strength.
“We are by far the strongest party, we are the anchor of stability,” von der Leyen regaled. Reflecting on the rise of the far-right and a good showing of the far-left, von der Leyen added that “the result comes with great stability for the parties in the centre. We all have interest in stability and we all want a strong and effective Europe.
“In the legislature, provisional results showed that the Christian Democrats would have 189 seats, up 13, the Social Democrats 135, down 4 and the pro-business Renew group 83, down 19. The Greens slumped to 53, down 18.
Germany, traditionally a stronghold for environmentalists, exemplified the humbling’s of Greens. who were predicted to fall from 20% to 12%. With further losses expected in France and elsewhere, the defeat of the Greens could well have an impact on the EU’s overall climate change policies, still the most progressive across the globe.
The centre-right Christian Democratic bloc of EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, which already weakened its green credentials ahead of the polls, dominated in Germany with almost 30%, easily beating Scholz’s Social Democrats, who fell to 14%, even behind the AFD.
EU lawmakers, who serve a five-year term, have a say in issues from financial rules to climate and agriculture policy. They approve the EU budget, which bankrolls priorities including infrastructure projects, farm subsidies and aid delivered to Ukraine. And they hold a veto over appointments to the powerful EU commission.
The elections come at a testing time for voter confidence in a bloc of some 450 million people. Over the last five years, the EU has been shaken by the coronavirus pandemic, an economic slump and an energy crisis fuelled by the biggest land conflict in Europe since World War II. But political campaigning often focuses on issues of concern in individual countries rather than on broader European interests.
Since the last EU election in 2019, populist or far-right parties now lead governments in three nations Hungary, Slovakia and Italy — and are part of ruling coalitions in others including Sweden, Finland and, soon, the Netherlands. Polls give the populists an advantage in France, Belgium, Austria and Italy. “Right is good,” Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who leads a stridently nationalist and anti-migrant government, told reporters after casting his ballot. “To go right is always good. Go right!”
