We publish an unofficial translation of the article of Yeni Demokrasi.

Right-wing wind in the European Parliament elections

Its “center right and left” position maintained in the European Parliament elections. In the elections where the Greens and liberals lost power, far-right groups and parties increased their number of seats. Euro saw its lowest value of the month.

The elections for the European Parliament (EP), the legislative body of the European Union (EU), have been completed. Unofficial results of the elections, in which hundreds of millions of voters cast their votes in 27 member countries of the Union, have been announced. The first elections held after England’s departure from the union were marked by the gain in power of the far right.

The ballot box marathon of European citizens, which started on June 6, ended yesterday (June 9). The first results showed that the political balances on the continent would change. According to unofficial results, the center-right European People’s Party (EPP) remained the largest group, according to preliminary results. The center-left “Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats” retained its second position in the parliament (S&D).

Two far-right groups, European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) and Identity and Democracy, increased their seats. Far-right extremists also have a strong presence within national political parties that are not affiliated with any group.

The Euro, the common currency of most EU member states, hit its lowest level in the last month after the elections. In Asia, where the markets first opened, the euro lost 0.3 percent of its value against the US dollar, falling to 1.0764.

Ursula von der Leyen declared victory: “We won”

Ursula von der Leyen, current President of the European Commission and member of the European People’s Party, said her group had once again shown that it was the “strongest” group in parliament. In her first statement after the elections, von der Leyen said, “we were determined, we were united and now we have won the European elections”. She declared her victory by saying, “The voters gave us a very strong authority.”

Ursula von der Leyen added that the centre-right EPP “will be a bastion against radical forces on the right and left”.

Macron resigned, re-elections will be held in France

French President Emmanuel Macron dissolved the parliament and decided to hold re-elections after the far right gained place one in his country by a wide margin. France will go to the polls on June 30 for the first round and on July 7 for the second round.

Emphasizing that the results of the EP elections “are not a good result for the parties that defend Europe”, Macron said about the far-right parties coming out ahead in the election results: “The rise of nationalists and demagogues is a danger not only for our nation but also for our Europe and France’s place in Europe and the world.”

Marine Le Pen’s far-right party, the National Rally (RN), came first with 31.5 percent of the votes, up 10 points. Macron’s party, Renaissance, which is a member of the liberal group, remained at 15 percent. Renaissance was followed by the Socialist Party with 14 percent of the votes.

In his statement right after the election, National Rally leader Jordan Bardella called on Macron to raise pensions to inflation rates and stop the increase in energy prices.

After Macron’s resignation, the people of Paris took to the streets and protested that the far right came first. Demonstrators demanded the unity of the left in the general elections.

Far-right AfD is the second party in Germany

Another country where the far right gained strength was Germany. In the country that sends the most representatives to the European Parliament, the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) emerged as the second party. AfD, which reached 16 percent of the votes, is not currently included in any group in the EP. AfD was expelled from ID, one of the two far-right groups in the EP, due to its rhetoric acquittal of the Nazis. According to exit polls, the AfD will be represented in the European Parliament with 17 MPs.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democratic Party (SPD) ran third, its worst ever EU election result. The Greens, one of the junior partners in Scholz’s federal coalition government, also suffered a heavy defeat, losing nine of their 25 seats in the EU legislature.

Victory of the far right in Italy

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s far-right Brothers of Italy (FdI) party ran first. FdI, which could only rank fifth in the 2019 EP elections, increased its votes by approximately 20 points and ranked first. Meloni and her party are the leaders of the ECR, one of the two far-right groups in the European Parliament.