In E.U. Elections, the Center Holds, but the Far Right Still Wreaks Havoc
The European Union’s parliamentary elections, held last week, were a test of the bloc’s resilience in the face of populist and nationalist movements. The results, while not a complete repudiation of the far right, were a clear rejection of the most extreme voices.
The center-right European People’s Party (EPP) and the center-left Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) together won 50 percent of the vote, according to preliminary results. The EPP, which includes German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union, won the most votes, with 20 percent. The S&D, which includes French President Emmanuel Macron’s La République En Marche, won 19 percent.
The far-right Europe of Nations and Freedom (ENF) group, which includes the Italian League and the French National Rally, won 13 percent of the vote, down from 17 percent in the last election in 2014. The ENF’s leader, Marine Le Pen, lost her seat in the French National Assembly in April, and her party’s performance in the European elections was a disappointment.
The liberal Renew Europe group, which includes Macron’s party, won 10 percent of the vote, up from 6 percent in 2014. The Greens/European Free Alliance group, which includes the German Greens, won 7 percent, up from 5 percent in 2014.
The results were a relief for the European Union, which has been grappling with Brexit, the migration crisis, and the rise of populist and nationalist movements. The elections were seen as a test of the bloc’s ability to withstand the forces of populism and nationalism, and the results suggest that the center is holding.
However, the far right still made gains, particularly in Eastern Europe. In Poland, the nationalist Law and Justice party won 45 percent of the vote, up from 37 percent in 2014. In Hungary, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party won 52 percent of the vote, up from 51 percent in 2014.