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Elections for the European Parliament / Far right, significant growth in Germany

2024-06-09 20:20:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Elections for the European Parliament / Far right, significant growth in Germany

Illustrative photo by AFD

Far-right parties appear to have made significant gains in Germany and Austria in Sunday's European Parliament elections, according to some polls.

Thus, these two countries join the Netherlands, which gives the first signs that the turn to the right will happen in this EU institution.

The centre-right party, the European People's Party (EPP), is expected to be the largest political group in the European Parliament again, and its candidate, Ursula von der Leyen, will have another term at the head of the EU.

However, she may need the support of right-wing nationalists such as Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's Brotherhood of Italy party to secure a majority in Parliament.

The far-right Alternative for Germany party is second with 16.5 percent of the vote, compared to 11 percent in the 2019 election, according to a poll published by public broadcaster ARD.

The three parties participating in the coalition of the German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, have lost votes compared to the past, according to polls.

The results are in line with the already expected changes in favor of the right-wing parties in the European Parliament, which covers the 450 million inhabitants of the European bloc.

Meanwhile in Austria, the Freedom Party, also of the extreme right, is expected to win the elections in this country, according to polls.

Polls in the Netherlands, whose residents voted on Thursday, show that the nationalist and anti-immigration party Geert Wilders is expected to win seven of the country's 29 seats in the European Parliament.

The new European Parliament is expected to have softer policies in the fight against climate change and more support for measures to limit migration in the European bloc.

The parliament may be even more divided, which will make it difficult to pass any important decision, as the EU faces a hostile Russia and increased rivalry with China, in the field of industry.

This means that the German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, and the French one, Emmanuel Macron, will be weaker.

Voting started on Thursday in the Netherlands and in some other countries on Friday and Saturday, but most EU residents voted on Sunday.

The European Parliament votes on legislation that is key for citizens and businesses in the bloc with 27 member countries./ REL