Hear
Before the projected advance of the extreme right in the European Parliament, Javier Milei reposted a publication that linked the growth of these fronts to his presidency. “Milei Effect in Europe. Crushing defeat of the left”, wrote a user, which was shared by the president this Sunday minutes after the election closed.
After that first repost, Milei supported other publications on the X social network in the same tone. In most of them, users associated the Argentine president with the result achieved by the right in Europe.
“Javier Milei woke up everyone and is already saving Europe. Hero of freedom. “Hero of humanity”one person wrote. “Europe said NO to the 2030 Agenda. We deeply celebrate it“, he added Agustín Romodeputy of La Libertad Avanza (LLA) in Buenos Aires. In all cases, the President republished the posts.
Days ago, during the campaign prior to the elections, the President of the Spanish Government Pedro Sánchez once again targeted Milei after the Argentine president’s controversial visit to that country, when he was summoned by the far-right Vox party. The Iberian president assured that the unity of Spain and Europe could only be achieved with certain policies, and not with “the pacts of the right and the extreme right.”
The first estimates after the parliamentary elections of the European Union (EU) revealed that the far right will rise in the bloc’s legislature despite a series of scandals in Germany, the largest nation in that group made up of 27 countries.
Exit polls indicated that the Alternative for Germany (AfD) rose to 16.5% from 11% in 2019, overtaking Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s social democratic party, which fell to 14%. The combined result of the three parties in the German ruling coalition barely exceeded 30%, and the Greens suffered heavy losses. The far right also had significant gains in the Netherlands, where Geert Wilders’ party is in a head-to-head race with a socialist-green alliance.
The war in Ukraine, the impact of climate policy on farmers and ranchers and immigration are some of the issues on the minds of voters to elect 720 members of the European Parliament. Polls suggest that traditional parties will maintain a majority in the House, although the far right, including parties led by politicians such as Geert Wilders in the Netherlands; Viktor Orbán in Hungary; Le Pen in France and Giorgia Meloni in Italy will gain ground. That could make it more difficult to pass laws and make decisions in the EU.
One of the most effervescent local reactions was carried out by the president of France, Emmanuel Macronwho, Less than an hour after the exit polls anticipated a comfortable victory for the far-right in the European elections, he announced the dissolution of the National Assembly and called for early legislative elections..
“I heard your message, your concerns and I will not leave them unanswered,” said Macron in a speech to the nation in which he detailed that the legislative elections, in a double round, will take place on June 30 and July 7. The French president assumed that the European elections did not leave him with “a good result for the parties that defend Europe.” Specifically, according to the polls, the Renacimiento list would have obtained around 15% of the votes, less than half that of the National Group.
In his speech, the president explained that “France needs a clear majority to have serenity and harmony” and said he had “confidence” in “democracy.” “There is nothing more republican than giving the floor to the sovereign people,” he added. However, the French president pointed out that far-right parties “are making progress throughout the continent”, after polls have reflected progress in countries such as Germany or Austria.
With information from AP and DPA
THE NATION
