Populists gain strength

EU election 2024: Europe’s unity is wavering

Marine Le Pen casts her vote for the EU elections.

(Bild: APA/AFP/FRANCOIS LO PRESTI)

National populist and conservative parties are on the rise across the EU. This also applies to our German neighbors, where the AfD made significant gains. In France, Marine Le Pen's far-right party Rassemblement National came in first place as predicted.

However, after initially rejoicing over its "historic second place", the right-wing populist AfD is now only the third strongest party in Germany with 14.2%, according to the interim results of the Federal Election Commissioner for the European elections. After counting 289 of 400 districts, the conservative CDU and CSU parties together received 32.6 percent of the vote, the SPD (Social Democrats) 14.6 percent and the Greens 12.1 percent, according to the Federal Returning Officer on Sunday. The FDP received 5.3 percent of the vote and the Left Party 2.2 percent. It is a setback for the traffic light coalition - all three governing parties are losing voters.

AfD leader Tino Chrupalla

(Bild: APA/AFP/RALF HIRSCHBERGER)

(Bild: APA/AFP/RALF HIRSCHBERGER)

German chancellor's party suffers heavy defeat
CDU Secretary-General Carsten Linnemann called the CDU/CSU a clear winner of the European elections in Germany. "We are still going strong," he assured ARD television. "The Chancellor's party has 14 percent, we have more than double that." SPD Chancellor Olaf Scholz could not go on like this. "He would actually have to call a vote of confidence in the Bundestag," said Linnemann. Things could not go on like this. Speaking on ZDF television, Linnemann said: "What we are seeing is disastrous. Either the traffic light party changes course or it must clear the way for new elections".

SPD General Secretary Kevin Kühnert described his party's performance in the European elections as "a very bitter election result". "This is a tough defeat for us today," Kühnert also said on ARD. Green Party Chairwoman Ricarda Lang also expressed her disappointment: "This is not the standard with which we went into this election and we will work through this together."

France:
Marine Le Pen's far-right party Rassemblement National has achieved its predicted victory in the EU elections in France. Initial projections by various institutes immediately after the polls closed put her party and its lead candidate Jordan Bardella ahead with between 31.5 and 33.3 percent of the vote - far ahead of President Emanuel Macron's allies, who were predicted to win around 15 percent of the vote. The Socialists were predicted to win around 14 percent.

Marine Le Pen

(Bild: APA/AFP/FRANCOIS LO PRESTI)

Spain:
In Spain, the opposition conservative People's Party has become the strongest force in the European elections. After 99.65% of the votes were counted, the PP achieved 34.18% (2019: 20.15%), as the electoral authority announced on Sunday evening. The ruling Socialists PSOE of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez followed with 30.19 percent (32.86). The right-wing populist Vox made gains and came in third with 9.62 percent (6.21).

Hungary:
In Hungary, the ruling Fidesz party of controversial Prime Minister Viktor Orban is the strongest force in the European elections. It is ahead with 43.8 percent of the vote, as the first partial results showed on Sunday evening. Peter Magyar's opposition party Tisza was in second place with 31 percent. After counting 40 percent of the votes, Fidesz has eleven seats and Tisza seven.

Italy:
In the EU elections in Italy, the governing party "Fratelli d'Italia" (Brothers of Italy - FdI) led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is poised for success. According to the exit polls published by TV channel La7, Meloni's party was the strongest single party with 27 to 31 percent of the vote. The Social Democrats (PD - Partito Democratico) came second with 21.5 to 25.5 percent of the vote.

Meloni's party also held its own in the internal coalition duel with government partners Lega and Forza Italia. According to the exit polls, the Lega led by Transport Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini received between 7.5 and 9.5 percent of the vote, while Forza Italia led by Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani is also said to have received between 7.5 and 9.5 percent.

Portugal:
In Portugal, the Socialists (PS) have become the strongest party in the EU elections ahead of the ruling conservative Democratic Alliance (AD), according to an initial forecast. It was only in March that the AD had replaced the PS as the strongest force and ruling party in national parliamentary elections. According to the first forecast based on post-election polls, the Socialists have 31.4 percent, with the AD close behind with 30.6 percent.

The far-right Chega party, which won over 18% in the March election, now only has 9.2% according to the figures. According to the forecast, the liberal Iniciativa Liberal (IL) did well, however, and could come third with 9.8 percent.

Voting in Lisbon

(Bild: APA/AFP/CARLOS COSTA)

Finland:
In Finland, the left made huge gains in the EU elections. According to initial forecasts, the left-wing alliance increased its share of the vote by 10.5 percentage points compared to the 2019 EU elections and became the second-strongest party with an initial 17.4%, as reported by Finnish broadcaster Yle. This is the largest increase of all parties. The conservative Rally Party of Prime Minister Petteri Orpo remained the strongest party with 24.4 percent of the vote.

Czech Republic:
In the Czech Republic, the opposition liberal protest movement ANO of former Prime Minister Andrej Babiš has won the EU elections, as expected. In the two-day ballot, which took place on Friday and Saturday, ANO received 26.1 percent of the vote. The three-party electoral alliance Spolu (Together) led by conservative head of government Petr Fiala came second with 22.3 percent, according to the Czech Statistical Office (CSU) on Sunday evening.

Slovakia:
In Slovakia, the expected gains for the left-wing populist party of head of government Robert Fico failed to materialize. Surprisingly, the liberal Progressive Slovakia (PS) party became the strongest force on Sunday. Fico's Smer-SD conceded defeat on the online network Facebook and congratulated "the election winner Progresivne Slovensko" and its newly elected MEPs. The vote was held in the wake of the assassination attempt on the head of government, who was seriously injured by gunshots in mid-May.

"For Roberto Fico", reads the election poster

(Bild: ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Poland:
Prime Minister Donald Tusk's Civic Platform (PO) emerged as the strongest force in the European elections in Poland on Sunday. The liberal-conservative and pro-European party of the former EU Council President can expect 38.2 percent of the vote, according to initial forecasts based on voter surveys on Sunday. The national conservative PiS party (Law and Justice) received 33.9 percent.

Belgium:
The parliamentary elections in Belgium have seen gains for right-wing Flemish parties. According to projections on Sunday, the Neo-Flemish Alliance (N-VA) of Antwerp mayor Bart De Wever is likely to become the strongest force in the Chamber of Deputies in Brussels with a good 18 percent. The far-right Flemish party Vlaams Belang came in second with a good 15 percent.

A government participation of the extreme right-wing Vlaams Belang at national level is not in sight for the time being. The other parties reject a coalition with the far-right. Vlaams Belang is calling for independence for Flanders and wants to cut social benefits for immigrants.

Malta:
In Malta, the smallest EU country, the social democratic governing party Labor has suffered significant losses in the European elections according to initial partial results. Despite this, Prime Minister Robert Abela spoke of a "solid" victory in the capital Valletta on Sunday. The Mediterranean island with around half a million inhabitants has six MEPs in the European Parliament.

According to afternoon forecasts, three of these seats will go to Labor. The conservative opposition Nationalist Party can expect two to three seats. The current President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, has also secured a seat in the new Parliament. The Labour Party's election campaign was tainted by a corruption scandal involving Malta's former head of government Joseph Muscat.

Denmark:
According to initial trends, the liberal Venstre party has lost a significant number of votes in Denmark. The strongest party in the 2019 election lost almost 9.6 percentage points, according to the first forecast by Danish broadcaster DR shortly after polling stations closed on Sunday evening. They fell to 13.9 percent and if the figures are confirmed, the party will lose two of its previous four seats in the EU Parliament. The Socialist People's Party, on the other hand, made gains.

Greece:
According to initial forecasts, the conservative governing party Nea Dimokratia will also be the strongest force in the EU elections in Greece. According to an estimate based on post-election polls, the party has 30 percent of the vote, followed by the left-wing Syriza party with just under 17 percent. The social democratic Pasok party has just over twelve percent.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis casts his ballot in the ballot box.

(Bild: APA/AFP/Aris MESSINIS)

Romania:
In Romania, the electoral alliance consisting of the ruling post-communists (PSD) and their liberal junior partner (PNL) has emerged as the strongest force in Sunday's European elections, according to a voter survey by the two opinion research institutes CURS and Avangarde.

According to the exit poll, the two governing parties, which despite belonging to different political groups in the EU Parliament had entered the election race with a joint electoral list, can expect a landslide victory or 54 percent of the vote, meaning that they are likely to win well over half of the 33 mandates allocated to Romania.

Cyprus:
The Dimokratikos Synagermos (DISY), a Christian Democratic and conservative party, also won the European elections in Cyprus. According to initial forecasts, it will win two of the six Cypriot seats in the EU Parliament. In second place is the former communist AKEL party (Anorthotiko Komma Ergazomenou Laou), followed by 24-year-old influencer Fidias Panayiotou. The right-wing nationalist ELAM party is likely to enter the EU Parliament with one new MEP.

Sweden:
In Sweden, the opposition Social Democrats are ahead in the European elections according to initial forecasts: they have five of Sweden's 21 seats. They are followed by the conservative Moderaterna party of Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson with four seats, and the Greens and the social conservative Sweden Democrats with three seats each. At EU level, both the European People's Party and the Social Democrats have five Swedish seats.

The Left Party and the liberal Center Party will each receive two seats in the Strasbourg Parliament, the Christian Democrats and the Liberals one vote each. According to preliminary forecasts, three Swedes each will go to the liberal Renew, the Greens and the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR).

Croatia:
In Croatia, the conservative ruling party HDZ has won the European elections, according to exit polls published by private broadcaster Nova TV after the polls closed. According to the results, Prime Minister Andrej Plenković's party received 33.7 percent of the vote, giving it six seats in the EU Parliament. The left-liberal electoral alliance led by the Social Democrats (SDP) came second with 27.8% and four seats.

The far-right co-governing Homeland Movement (DP) and the left-green opposition party Možemo (We Can) each won one mandate.

Slovenia: 
 In Slovenia, the right-wing conservative opposition party SDS looks set to win the EU elections. After around half of the votes were counted, the EPP member received 32.3 percent and thus four seats in the European Parliament. The ruling Freedom Movement (GS) of liberal Prime Minister Robert Golob was the second strongest party with 21.4% and two seats, according to the partial results of the state election authority.