New reality confronts Europeans
Print Edition
Europeans woke yesterday to a new political reality after European Parliament elections ended the domination of the EU鈥檚 main center-right and center-left parties and revealed a changed political landscape where the far-right, pro-business groups and environmentalists will be forces to be reckoned with.
Turning out in numbers not seen for 20 years, voters took their concerns about immigration and security to the ballot box, making parties led by the likes of Italy鈥檚 populist Matteo Salvini and France鈥檚 far-right leader Marine Le Pen among the biggest in the 28-nation bloc鈥檚 assembly.
鈥淭he rules are changing in Europe,鈥 Salvini, Italy鈥檚 hard-line interior minister, said at his League Party headquarters in Milan early yesterday. 鈥淎 new Europe is born.鈥
Voter projections showed the League won 33 percent of the vote, up from 6 percent at the last European vote in 2014.
The lion鈥檚 share of Britain鈥檚 seats went to Nigel Farage鈥檚 Brexit Party, as citizens punished the governing Conservatives and opposition Labour Party for their embarrassing failure to manage the divided country鈥檚 delayed exit from the EU.
Riding what they called Europe鈥檚 鈥済reen wave鈥 backed by Europe-wide rallies urging climate action, environmentalist parties made strong gains, notably in Germany.
The free-market liberals saw their stake in the 751-seat parliament rise to 107 seats, from 68 in 2014.
The picture of a fractured assembly for the next five years was complete as many citizens turned against the center-right European People鈥檚 Party 鈥 one of its key figures, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, saw her party lose ground 鈥 and the center-left Socialists.
鈥淲e are facing a shrinking center of the European Union parliament,鈥 a subdued EPP lead candidate Manfred Weber said, after just over 50 percent of the EU鈥檚 more than 400 million voters had turned out over four days in the world鈥檚 biggest transnational elections. 鈥淔rom now on, those who want to have a strong European Union have to join forces.鈥
The Socialist lead candidate, Frans Timmermans, essentially conceded defeat, even though the two groups remain the assembly鈥檚 biggest by some margin. 鈥淚f you lose an election, if you lose seats, you have to be modest,鈥 the former Dutch foreign minister said. 鈥淲e have lost seats and this means that we have to be humble.鈥
Although still trickling in, results show that the EPP is set to secure 179 seats, down from 217 five years ago. The Socialists are slated to win 150, down from 187.
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