- This week, voters across the European Union will elect a new European Parliament.
- Early results show a surge in support for far-right parties.
- Nationalists and populists are currently dominant in France, Italy, Austria and Belgium.
Early results from the European Parliament elections have revealed a surge in support for far-right and nationalist parties, according to multiple reports.
The 27-nation EU elections, held June 6-9, saw particularly strong support for anti-immigration nationalist figures in the continent’s two biggest countries, France and Germany, the New York Times reported, and are often seen as driving forces behind the experiment in co-sovereignty.
French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Sunday that he was dissolving the National Assembly (the lower house of the French parliament) after the far-right National Rally, led by French lawyer Marine Le Pen, won a landslide victory over Macron’s Renaissance party, The Wall Street Journal reported.
The dissolution of parliament is a big gamble that will see new elections held between June 30 and July 7, which could result in Macron’s New Party losing more seats to its anti-immigration Rally National rivals.
“This is a big, big decision, but above all it is an act of trust,” Macron said of his move, according to The Wall Street Journal. “Faith in you, faith in the ability of the French people to make the right choices for themselves and for future generations.”
The Associated Press reported that the Alternative for Germany (AfD), which German authorities consider a “suspect” extremist group, also saw a surge in support. The AfD overtook the Social Democrats of Germany, which have been the country’s largest party since Olaf Scholz was elected chancellor in 2021.
The AfD won 16.5% of the vote, up from 11% in 2019, and the three parties in Germany’s coalition government received a combined 30% of the vote, according to the Associated Press.
According to the media, opinion polls also show populist politicians in the lead in Italy, Belgium and Austria.
The Associated Press noted that since the 2019 European Parliament elections, far-right politicians have taken the lead in Hungary, Italy and Slovakia, and are part of ruling coalitions in Sweden, Finland and the Netherlands. These parties have garnered support primarily due to anti-immigration and anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment, as well as policies focused on nationalism and identity, The Times reported.
If early results are known, this year’s elections will send a shockwave through Europe’s political system by strengthening the power of the right across the European Union. A stronger hold for far-right parties could make it harder for the European Parliament to pass legislation across the board, which could affect negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, since much of the EU’s far-right is pro-Russia and is pushing for a peace deal between the two countries on Russia’s terms, according to the Times.
More solid numbers for this year’s election are expected to be available later Sunday night.
Representatives for the European Parliament did not immediately respond to Business Insider’s request for comment.
