london – European right-wing populists are set to issue a stern warning to mainstream political parties as they are projected to make dramatic gains in European Parliament elections that start on Thursday.
Voters in the 27 countries of the European Union (EU) are expected to Historically, the first right-wing leader was elected The demand to secure a majority in the European Parliament for the next five years is a sign of frustration with traditional political parties, which have failed to address the growing problems facing the wider EU. Migrant crisis and the economic challenges facing the continent.
“It’s a reflection and frustration with what’s happening in Europe,” Alan Mendoza, executive director of the London-based Henry Jackson Society, told Fox News Digital. “People are turning to parties that have answers on this ground and that stand up for these issues, so as far as some voters see that, they say this is where they’re going to cast their vote.”
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MILAN, ITALY – MAY 18: From left to right, PVV – Partij voor de Vrijheid leader Geert Wilders, Lega leader Matteo Salvini, MEP Jörg Meuthen for the AfD – Alternative für Deutschland, RN – Rassemblement National president Marine Le Pen and Perusuomalaiset vice president Laura Huhtasaari attend the political rally “Prima l’Italia! Il buon senso in Europa – Towards a common sense Europe” at Piazza Duomo in Milan on May 18, 2019. Representatives from 11 right-wing European parties joined a large rally organized by Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister and Lega party leader Matteo Salvini with the aim of creating a pan-European coalition of populists and sovereigntists ahead of the European Parliament elections on May 23-26. (Emanuele Cremaschi/Getty Images)
Surveys show that populist parties are likely to win a third of the vote across the bloc, and according to the European Council on Foreign Relations survey estimates, far-right political parties are likely to come out on top in Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland and Slovakia, while making substantial gains in other member states.
The last term of the European Parliament was ruled by a broad coalition of the traditional centre-right European People’s Party, the centre-left Socialists and Democrats and the liberals of Renew Europe. These parties are likely to lose seats next week.
The right-wing populist bloc, which includes the far-right Identity and Democracy and the European Conservatives and Reformists group, could capture up to one-quarter of all seats in the EU parliament after the election, outpacing the Renew Europe bloc and competing with the leading pro-EU centrist parties.
Migrants wait to board the coast guard ship “Disiotti”, carrying more than 1,700 people, before being transferred from the so-called “hotspot” operational facility to Porto Empedocle, in Lampedusa, Italy, on August 3, 2022. With a recent surge in sea rescues on the Italian island of Lampedusa leaving migrant reception centers 500% over capacity, former Interior Minister Matteo Salvini, leader of the League party, took advantage of the situation to make a visit during the election campaign. (Photo: Antonio Masiello/Getty Images)
Individual conservative members of the European People’s Party will also find common ground with the new populist bloc on key issues, although the centre-right party is unlikely to formally form a coalition. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen He had previously ruled out the possibility of an alliance with populist groups based on his views on NATO, Ukraine and his euro-scepticism.
The rise in popularity of right-wing parties has been driven by Europe’s ongoing migration crisis and social and economic issues, as voters grow dissatisfied with political elites and see Europe in decline.
Farmers hold flags of European countries as they gather to listen to speeches from leaders during a protest in Brussels, Tuesday, June 4, 2024. Farmer groups hope the Green Deal climate agreement will be scrapped in this week’s EU elections. (AP Photo/Omar Havana)
“If you look at some of the policies that people on the left are pushing in the United States today — whether it’s radical environmental policies that are shutting down family farms, reckless spending that is causing the cost of living to skyrocket for working families, socialized medicine, or our open borders agenda that is leading to massive illegal immigration, a rise in crime and a strain on our economy — all of these dangerous ideas are influenced by Europe. It’s essential that we keep a watchful eye on what’s happening in Brussels and stop these bad ideas abroad before they harm us here at home,” Matt Mowers, a former Trump State Department official and a founding board member of the EU-US Forum, told Fox News Digital.
Marine Le Pen (L), president of the French far-right Rassemblement National parliamentary group, and Jordan Bardella, president of the French far-right Rassemblement National party and leading candidate for the European Parliament election, sing on stage during a party campaign meeting ahead of the upcoming EU parliamentary elections, in Henin-Beaumont, northern France, on May 24, 2024. (Christian Livig – Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images)
He added, “The data coming out of Europe is encouraging, as it suggests that conservatives may have a major breakthrough in the European Parliament, tilting the parliament to the right. This may finally force the EU to start viewing European citizens as members of self-interested nations rather than pawns in the schemes of a global left-wing elite.”
Mainstream political parties tried to beat back a wave of rising populism in the European Parliament last December A “historic” migration agreement announced Its aim was to stop the influx of refugees. However, the agreement did little to change the perception of the EU’s failure to tackle the crisis.
“The feeling that Europe’s borders are completely permeable and the perception that Europe’s elites want migrants to come is having an impact. As far as ordinary Europeans are concerned, this puts pressure on public services like housing, medical services, job opportunities,” Mendoza said. “It reflects a widespread acceptance that Europe’s best years are behind us,” which is causing voters to embrace parties they “wouldn’t have thought of voting for 10-20 years ago.”
Firefighters extinguish burning vehicles during clashes between protesters and police following the death of Nahel Merzouk, in the Paris suburb of Nanterre, France. (Reuters/Stephanie Lecocq)
The expected gains of populist parties in the European Parliament elections follow the domestic electoral successes of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and the surprise victory of Italian President Vladimir Putin. Dutch politician Geert Wilders‘The political party’s victory in last year’s domestic elections, and Marine Le Pen’s strong performance in the 2022 French presidential election, could see her set up for a second round contest with eventual winner Emmanuel Macron.
Despite a possible right-wing majority in the European Parliament, this would not lead to immediate change due to the institution’s limited powers, but it would serve as a “wake-up call” to traditional political parties to change course and adopt populist policies.
Mendoza said “we will not immediately see any dramatic changes in policy, either within or outside parliament”, but stressed that parliament would play a key role in the election of the next European Commission president, who will have to satisfy the populist faction on migration issues.
European flags wave outside the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, on February 7, 2024. Nearly 400 million EU citizens will go to the polls this weekend to elect members of the European Parliament, in one of the biggest global democratic events. (AP Photo/Jean-François Badias, File)
“But this is a warning to mainstream political parts of Europe that if they don’t have any answers and continue to do so, or, worse, if they continue with the failed policies that led us to this situation, they will be punished even more severely in the next elections,” he said.
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“If they decide to support the agenda, we would expect to see a much bigger change in terms of Europe’s policies, which would happen quite quickly, because the mainstream has taken into account people’s complaints and decided to do things differently.”
Mowers concluded, “Hopefully, the statement made by European citizens as they vote in the coming days will provide momentum to the conservative movement in the United States as we get closer to our elections in November.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
