Populists on course to alter the face of Brussels as the establishment ‘shrinks’
EUROSCEPTIC parties enjoyed their best ever results in the European elections last night as millions voted for populist parties, abandoning the two groups that have dominated EU politics for the last 40 years.
A total of 169 MEPS were returned from Eurosceptic parties across the EU, according to preliminary results. But with the seats split between three political groups, the populists will be unable to alter the push for closer EU integration from the dominant parties.
In the 2014 elections, 155 MEPS from anti-eu parties were returned. Early predictions suggested that turnout had increased in comparison to 2014 to 50.5 per cent across Europe, arresting a steady decline that had continued ever since the first EU election in 1979 and the highest for 20 years.
Emmanuel Macron, the French president, was handed a pivotal kingmaker role despite his Renaissance party being beaten into second place in the French vote by Marine Le Pen’s anti-eu National Rally. Renaissance won 22.5 per cent of French votes, about 22 seats, while National Rally, which also topped the 2014 vote, took 23.5 per cent, according to projections. “This confirms the new divide between nationalists and globalists,” Ms Le Pen said.
The centre-right European People’s Party (EPP) returned 178 MEPS, down 43, while the centre-left Socialists and Democrats (S&D) lost 39 MEPS, returning 152. A “green wave” came at a cost to the traditional parties, earning 67 seats, creating the most fragmented European parliament ever.
While they remain the two largest groups, it is the first time in 40 years they have failed to secure a joint majority in the 751-seat parliament. They had previously carved up the top EU jobs between them to ease through EU laws.
“We are facing a shrinking centre in the European Parliament,” said Manfred Weber, leader of the EPP. Calling for pro-eu parties to band together he said: “I don’t feel a real victory today.”
The EPP and S&D are expected to form a coalition with Mr Macron and ALDE, the pro-eu European liberals and third largest group after last night’s results with about 108 seats, to head off the Eurosceptic menace to Brussels.
Guy Verhofstadt, leader of the liberals, said: “No solid pro-european majority is possible without the help and participation of our new centrist group. There will be a new balance of power in the European Parliament.”
MEPS from different countries organise themselves into blocs of likeminded parties, which qualify for extra speaking time, influence and funding.
Italy’s far-right League scored a resounding victory, boosting its ambitions for a leading role in Europe. The party, headed by deputy prime minister Matteo Salvini, was set to win 32 per cent of the vote, overtaking its governing partner, Five Star Movement, as Italy’s largest party, according to forecasts.
The European Alliance of People and Nations, the group headed by Mr Salvini, will now have 57 seats in the parliament, making it the sixth largest group. There is speculation that Viktor Orban’s Fidesz party, of Hungary, could split from the EPP and further swell Mr Salvini’s group.
The Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy group, led by Nigel Farage, should return 24 MEPS, eight more than in 2014. Despite the Tories facing electoral disaster, their European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group was bolstered by a strong showing for Poland’s Law and Justice party.
Support for Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrats, members of the EPP, fell about seven per cent, while the farright Alternative for Germany increased its vote by 4.5 per cent. It was not the surge some had predicted.
In Spain, the far-right Vox seemed to have a disappointing night, with just 6 per cent of the vote. In Greece, hardleft premier Alexis Tsipras called snap general elections after a drubbing by the centre-right New Democracy in both local and European elections.