European election results… What are the major changes ahead?
EU policy is likely to see significant changes in several areas, in light of the results of the European Parliament elections, which showed significant progress for far-right parties.
However, the split of far-right parties into two blocs may limit the impact of this change in the new European Parliament.
The European Parliament has 720 seats and its members are directly elected by European citizens, playing a vital role in passing legislation and exercising oversight, in addition to its limited role in financial matters.
One of the most notable results was those related to the two main powers in the European Union, France and Germany, where the French National Rally led by Jordan Bardella topped the election results with more than 31.5% of the vote, far ahead of French President Emmanuel Macron’s Ennahda party, which received only 15.2%, prompting Macron to announce the dissolution of parliament and call for early elections.
In Germany, the Alternative for Germany (AfD) came in second with between 16 and 16.5% of the vote, ahead of the two ruling coalition parties, the Social Democrats (14%) and the Greens (12%).
Europe Unit
On immigration, analysts expect tighter restrictions to be imposed, as controlling migration flows is one of the main axes of right-wing party platforms.
Fears of the impact of immigration on national identity, job opportunities and standard of living are growing and are exploited by right-wing parties in their rhetoric in countries such as Italy, France, the Netherlands and Hungary.
This has contributed to the arrival of right-wing parties to power in these countries, including the Brothers of Italy, which took power in 2022, the Freedom Party of Austria, which won the 2021 elections, and the Freedom Party of the Netherlands, which advanced in the 2023 elections.
As for the Ukraine war that erupted in February 2022 exacerbated Europe’s economic crises, prompting demonstrations demanding a reduction in aid to Ukraine.
European reports suggest the far-right in the European Parliament is divided over the stance on Russia.
For example, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is one of the most outspoken right-wing politicians in expressing dissatisfaction with the war and imposing sanctions on Russia.
By contrast, Giorgia Meloni, leader of the Brothers of Italy party, declares her support for the war on Russia, reflecting the diversity of positions within right-wing parties.
The Ukraine war caused an unprecedented energy crisis in Europe, where the EU made the decision to phase out Russian gas and oil, leading to a significant rise in prices.
As a result, some countries, most notably Germany, began to promote the use of nuclear energy, which France also supported.
The EU has moved towards promoting the use of renewable energy such as hydrogen and biomethane.
Energy transition programs are expected to decline with the rise of right-wing parties that oppose sanctions on Russia, including halting imports of Russian gas and oil.
Besides tightening restrictions on migration, new restrictions on travel and movement between EU countries are also likely.
This is due to the desire of right-wing parties to promote the special interests of each country, unlike the Schengen visa allowed freedom of movement between the 27 EU countries.
