The results of the European Parliament elections made clear the progress of right-wing groups, with the European People’s Party reaching 186 seats (winning 10 seats) while the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats obtained 135 (losing 4) .
In that sense, what was seen in France surprised President Emmanuel Macron himself, who, given the results achieved by the extreme right, decided to announce the dissolution of the National Assembly and the call for elections.
Marine Le Pen, leader of the National Rally, warned that she and her caucus “are ready to put the country back on track.”
Another striking case is that of Germany, where the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) of Chancellor Olaf Scholz obtained 14% of the votes, being widely surpassed by the conservatives and the extreme right.
The influence of the right is strengthened
“You have to distinguish two things. The first, that the general result of the election marks a victory for the traditional parties. In this case, the big winner is the European People’s Party, which is the coalition that brings together all the center-right parties,” said Luis Lira, an academic at the International Affairs Observatory of the Finis Terrae University.
“Secondly, its competitor, but also the other force that has pulled the European car, the Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, got 135, that is, it decreased in seats. What is said is that the European project remains standing with the two forces that have pulled this kind of European car,” he added.
“However, if we lower the magnifying glass, we see that the votes of the Eurosceptic parties have increased, which at one time were the parties critical of the management of the EU,” he said, indicating that both the conservatives – where Giorgia Meloni participates – as the Identity and Democracy group – related to Marine Le Pen and Matteo Salvini – grew in number.
For his part, Gilberto Aranda, an academic at the Institute of International Studies of the University of Chile, maintains that despite the fact that the extreme right is advancing, “we cannot speak of a total victory as it appeared.”
“Although it reaches 1/5, it was speculated that it could reach 1/4 of the European Chamber, which will give it an important influence when also making decisions regarding the commissioners. “That will be decided at the end of the month when the Council meets,” he clarifies.
Devastating results for Macron
Lira points out that the most striking thing in the case of France was the punishing vote given to Emmanuel Macron, with Marine Le Pen’s National Group obtaining the majority of the votes of MEPs, doubling Renacimiento in percentage.
“That is also a warning sign to the direct management that Macron had, who immediately said ‘OK, we are listening to the citizens here, therefore I will advance the elections in the French parliament,’” he mentions, highlighting that unlike 2019, where Renew Europe, Macron’s liberal coalition, obtained a significant number of votes, it was now fully punished. “From nearly 100 seats it had, it dropped to 79 at the European level,” he points out.
Aranda, for his part, called to pay attention to what happens in these early elections. “If this result in France (in the European elections) is repeated in the National Assembly elections, we could have a completely new situation, of a far-right prime minister’s government with a centrist president, and that would be novel,” says.
Meloni celebrates in Italy
Lira explains that in Italy, Giorgia Meloni represents the other side of the coin, obtaining the majority in the European votes. “That is also a symbol of support for what the Brothers of Italy has been doing, this conservative party that shared the government with the supporters of Silvio Berlusconi and also with Matteo Salvini’s League,” she specifies.
“This victory for Meloni in Italy also gives a nudge to Salvini and makes it clear who is the person, or what is the party, that governs in this coalition,” he adds.
The academic points out that Brothers of Italy has been able to accommodate itself in the European spectrum with a prime minister who has shown herself to be a collaborative figure to the management of Ursula von der Leyen.
“From that transgressive beginning that Brothers of Italy promised, it has gradually settled into European politics and also into Italian domestic politics. Precisely the Italian citizens have repaid him for that with the vote of support,” he adds.
Lira asserts that the one who really lost in Italy was Salvini of the League, “a party further to the right than Brothers of Italy, a party that has a strong discourse against the immigration issue, for example, and that sought to differentiate itself.”
Olaf Scholz’s match and a tough defeat
The social democratic SPD party of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz suffered a serious setback in the European elections, finding itself widely surpassed by the conservatives, followed by the extreme right.
“In Germany, social democracy is declining, but the first place is maintained by the Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU), which is a traditional center-right party. Here there is no movement of the extreme right to first place, the CDU continues to be the majority party in the European legislative elections in Germany,” Aranda details.
“Rather, what happened is that social democracy was displaced from its traditional second place that it had in the previous European elections to third, precisely due to the attack of the Alternative for Germany, which is the extreme right,” he adds.
Of course, the expert is emphatic in pointing out that the situation in Germany differs from what happened in France, “where the extreme right is currently the most voted party.”
“In Germany it is the traditional center-right that remains in first place and it is the extreme right, from Alternative for Germany, that goes to second place, displacing the social democracy that today governs in coalition with liberals and greens, who evidently took advantage a smaller percentage,” he emphasizes.
Ursula von der Leyen is heading for re-election
Ursula von der Leyen’s coalition, the People’s Party, achieved a majority in the vote, giving the former German Defense Minister the first advantage in negotiating her re-election. Once the seats are formed, the alliances begin negotiations on who will preside over the European Commission.
“We will build a bastion against the extremes, from the left and the right,” the Christian Democratic candidate said in Brussels.
“She has good chances of renewing,” confirms Lira, although he warns that the option of Mario Draghi, former president of the European Central Bank known for strengthening the euro in times of crisis, has arisen.
“After Von der Leyen commissioned a report, Draghi pointed out that many changes had to be made to the EU, which was interpreted as him being in a campaign. Days of negotiation are coming, the first letter is Ursula von der Leyen but the name of Mario Draghi could appear, giving him some competition,” he maintains.
