In a shocking turn of events, French President Emmanuel Macron announced the dissolution of the National Assembly following the European elections, giving back the power to the people to decide the country’s parliamentary future. This decision came as a surprise to many, especially as exit polls showed the far-right National Rally party, led by Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella, gaining significant support.
While the far-right parties had expected big gains in the European elections, the broader story of the vote marathon belonged to the center-right parties across Europe. The European People’s Party tightened its grip on the European Parliament with victories in Germany and Spain, as well as significant advances in Hungary against Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
Despite predictions of a surge in far-right support, the results showed a mixed picture. While parties like Geert Wilders’ Freedom Party in the Netherlands and Austria’s Freedom Party saw some success, the center held strong in many countries. Ursula von der Leyen, the head of the European Commission, emphasized the responsibility of the center parties in light of the support gained by the extremes on both sides.
In Germany, the opposition conservatives emerged on top, but Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s SPD party faced its worst-ever result in a European election, coming third behind the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). The AfD, despite facing scandals and controversies, maintained its support and declared that the only way is up for the party.
In Spain, the center-right Popular Party defeated Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s Socialists, while in Italy, Giorgia Meloni’s far-right Brothers of Italy secured a victory over the center-left Democratic Party. Meloni expressed pride in the result and thanked the Italians for choosing her party.
Overall, the far-right had mixed results across Europe, with some countries seeing underperformance while others saw overperformance. The unexpected move by President Macron to dissolve the National Assembly in France raised questions and concerns about the impact of the election results on the government. The center parties now face the challenge of navigating the political landscape in Europe with the support gained by the extremes on both ends.
