Europa: Far Right Surges As Greens Sink In EU Parliamentary Elections

Establishment Centrist Parties Did Badly

Macron's party did really badly

In 1969 I went overseas and spent a lot of time traveling. I bought a VW camper and drove down to Morocco and spent a good deal of time in Germany, France, Spain, Portugal and the U.K. And then I decided to drive to India— long trip, lots of countries but mostly a tourist passing through. But not all. Some countries I settled down in for a while, got myself a home and felt like I was beyond being a tourist; Afghanistan, Austria and for years rather than months, Holland. In Amsterdam, I had an apartment, a job, a salary… I paid taxes and learned a little Dutch. Some of my friends from those days are still friends today. But I never really understood politics in Holland any more than anyone who reads about them in the newspaper does. European multi-party politics is very tough to get a grip on. 

But yesterday was the last day of elections for the 720 seats in the EU parliament. They didn’t even have that when I lived in Amsterdam but I get the idea that people don’t take it as seriously as they take voting for their own countries’ parliaments. It’s a convenient protest vote opportunity for some people, especially since many of the national politicians blame Brussels for anything that goes wrong in their own countries. We’re talking about 27 countries and almost as many languages. In the last election (2019) turnout had increased to almost 51%.

The right— not just center-right, but the real thing, actual fascists and Nazis— have been on the rise. Some of them are in control— or in partial control— in their home countries, particularly in Hungary, Slovakia, Italy, Netherlands, Croatia, Sweden and Finland. In many countries one just has to be 18 to take a seat and in 3 countries— Austria, Belgium and Malta 16 years olds can vote; 17 year olds in Greece. The half dozen countries with the biggest delegates:

• Germany- 96 seats

• France- 81 seats

• Italy- 76 seats

• Spain- 61 seats

• Poland- 53 seats

• Romania- 33 seats

The 3 smallest delegations— with 6 seats each— are Malta, Luxembourg and Cyprus.

There are 7 party groupings that dominate the Parliament:

• European People’s Party (EPP), center-right- 186 (gained 10)

• Party of European Socialists (S&D), center-left- 134 (lost 5)

• Alliance of Liberals & Democrats (Renew), centrist- 79 (lost 23)

• European Conservatives & Reformists (ECR), right-wing- 73 (gained 4)

• Identity (ID), fascist (although they booted AfD for not covering up their Naziism well enough)- 58 (gained 9)

• Party of the European Left (The Left), left-wing- 36 (lost 1)

• Green & Free Alliance (Greens/EFA), center-left- 53 (lost 19)

Others won 53 seats and Non-Inscrits (NI— not members of any of the recognized groups, but mostly extreme right— won 46 seats)

Nazis gained ground in Germany

The biggest losers were French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholtz, whose parties lost to parties on the extreme right. Macron’s party did so badly compared to Marine Le Pen's National Rally (15% to 30%) that he immediately dissolved Parliament and decreed new elections for June 30 and July 7. Schultz’s Social Democratic Party was beaten by both the center-right CDU and the AfD, a reincarnation of the old Nazi Party. In fact, Scholtz’s Social Dems might even come in 4th, behind the Greens.

Not all the votes are counted in all the countries. We’re still waiting for Ireland. But this is what I have, pretty complicated:

Germany

• EPP- 31

• NI- 18 (AfD- 16 seats and Die Partei- 2)

• Greens/EFA- 15

• S&D- 14

• Renew- 8

• The Left- 4

• Others- 6
  

France 

• ID- 30

• Renew- 14

• S&D- 13

• The Left- 8

• EPP- 6

• ECR- 5

• Green/EFA- 5

Italy

• ECR- 23

• S&D- 19

• NI- 10

• EPP- 9

• ID- 7

• Renew- 3

• Green/EFA- 3

• others- 2
  

Spain

• EPP- 22

• S&D- 20

• ECR- 7

• Green/EFA- 4

• The Left- 3

• Others- 3

• Renew- 1

• NI- 1

Poland

• EPP- 20

• ECR- 19

• Others- 9

• Renew- 3

• S&D- 2

Romania

• S&D- 13

• EPP- 12

• Others- 5

• Renew- 2

• ECR- 1

Netherlands

• Renew- 7

• ID- 7

• EPP- 6

• S&D- 4

• Green/EFA- 4

• ECR- 1

• The Left- 1

• Others- 1

Belgium

• EPP- 4

• S&D- 4

• Renew- 4

• ECR- 3

• ID- 3

• The Left- 2

• Green/EFA- 2

Greece

• EPP- 7

• The Left- 4

• S&D- 3

• Others- 3

• ECR- 2

• NI- 2

Portugal

• EPP- 7

• S&D- 7

• Renew- 2

• The Left- 2

• ID- 2

• Green/EFA- 1

Hungary

• NI- 10

• EPP- 8

• S&D- 2

• others -1

Czech Republic

• Renew- 7

• EPP- 5

• ECR- 3

• others- 3

• The Left- 1

• Green/EFA- 1

• ID- 1

Sweden

• EPP- 5

• S&D- 5

• ECR- 3

• Renew- 3

• Green/EFA- 3

• The Left- 2

Austria

• ID- 6

• EPP- 5

• S&D- 5

• Renew- 2

• Green/EFA- 2

Bulgaria

• EPP- 6

• Renew- 5

• Others- 4

• S&D- 2

Slovakia

• NI- 7

• Renew- 6

• EPP- 1

• others -1

Denmark

• Renew- 4

• S&D- 3

• Green/EFA- 3

• EPP- 2

• The Left- 1

• ID- 1

• Others- 1

Finland

• EPP- 4

• Renew- 3

• The Left- 3

• S&D- 2

• Green/EFA- 2

• ECR- 1

Croatia

• EPP- 6

• S&D- 4

• Green/EFA- 1

• Others- 1

Lithuania

• EPP- 3

• S&D- 2

• Renew - 2

• Green/EFA- 2

• ECR- 1

• others- 1

Slovenia

• EPP- 6

• Renew- 2

• Green/EFA- 1

Latvia

• EPP- 2

• ECR- 2

• others- 2

• S&D- 1

• Renew- 1

• Green/EFA- 1

Estonia

• EPP- 2

• S&D- 2

• Renew- 2

• ID- 1

Cyprus

• EPP- 2

• Others- 2

• S&D- 1

• The Left- 1

Malta

• EPP- 3

• S7D- 3

Luxembourg

• EPP- 2

• S&D- 1

• ECR- 1

• Renew- 1

• Green/EFA- 1