Europe turns to the right

USPA NEWS - Europe turns to the right. The elections held from June 6 to 9 in the European Union, to renew 720 seats in the Strasbourg Parliament, resulted in the victory of the conservative European People's Party, which obtained 185 seats, followed by the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, which won 137 seats, and the far-right Renew Europe coalition, which won 79 seats. The Group of European Conservatives and Reformists - also on the right - won 73 seats. The rest of the parties that went to the polls and obtained representation in Parliament were far behind.

The fear that runs through Europe is to what extent the shift to the right and the rise of far-right parties, which won victories in Austria, Belgium, Italy, Germany and France, can change the soul of the European Union and substantially modify community policies. The European extreme right is usually xenophobic, racist, opposed to immigration and hostile to the control exercised over countries by the Commission and the European Council.

A coalition between the center-right and center-left groups, the European People's Party and the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, would remove the specter of the extreme right. The question analysts ask is to what extent these two parties will be willing to reach agreements. It is still too early to know, although Le Pen's shadow is beginning to be cast over the Strasbourg Parliament. The only certainty in the hours after the closing of the polling stations and with the count underway is that one in four MEPs in the new European Parliament will be far-right.

The rightward movement of the European Union is also seen in the increase in votes obtained by the European People's Party, 25.5% of the total. The leader of this group, the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has not ruled out agreeing with the far-right group led by Meloni. And it is not only about the growing power of the extreme right in the European institutions but also about its power to normalize war-mongering, racist, xenophobic demands that deny the climate emergency, which find more and more echo in conservative parties and also, increasingly more, in the social democrats.

The approval of the migration pact by the European Council on May 14, which included many of the demands of the extreme right to close the borders and limit the right to asylum, is proof of this. Also the reversal of many of the most advanced measures to fight the climate crisis after the rural mobilizations of recent months or the warlike drift of the European Union.

The conservative Popular Party won the European elections held on Sunday in Spain, obtaining 22 seats out of the 61 allocated to the country, according to results released by the European Parliament. The Socialist Party of the President of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sánchez, obtained 20 seats. Sánchez had made a call on Sunday for Spaniards to go to vote and decide what they want for Europe.

With 99.7% of the votes counted, the far-right Vox came third with six deputies, compared to the four it had in the previous legislature. However, in percentage of votes, support for Vox fell to 9.6% from 12.4% in the July 2023 general elections. The far-right party is struggling to overcome a vote limit of 14%, which makes it an outlier compared to its peers in other EU countries. The combined right won almost 50%, while the left followed with 43%. The left-wing vote was divided between Sumar - the minority partner in the Government coalition -, which won three seats, and the ultra-left Podemos party, led by former Equality Minister Irene Montero, which won two.

The spokesperson for the Socialist Party, Esther Peña, ruled out that the President of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sánchez, is going to call early general elections after the victory of the conservative Popular Party in the European elections on Sunday, indicating that they are not considering it "under any circumstances" and they have no doubts about it. "Without a doubt, no. In no case," said the socialist leader when asked if they are considering calling general elections as demanded by the Popular Party and Vox after the results of the European elections.

Meanwhile, in Italy, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni was one of Sunday's big winners. Brothers of Italy obtained 24 seats in the European elections, 28.59% of the votes. Meloni thanked voters for the trust they have placed in the party. "I am extraordinarily proud of the result of Brothers of Italy, but also of the League and of Forza Italia," she said from the headquarters of her party committee in Rome. "This result is fuel to move forward with greater determination," she added.