Right-wing parties have experienced a surge in support across Europe, challenging the leadership of prominent figures such as President Emmanuel Macron of France and Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany. According to projections, the center-right will remain the largest party in the European Parliament, with two right-wing parties seeing an increase in their number of seats. This means that forming a coalition to govern will be necessary for the center-right, but negotiations and the approval of laws may become more challenging.
Overall, around 360 million eligible voters from the 27 countries of the European Union participated in the elections by voting for candidates from their respective countries. In France, President Emmanuel Macron dissolved the National Assembly and called for new early parliamentary elections to counter the rise of right-wing parties led by Marine Le Pen. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz also faced disappointment as his social democratic party fell behind right-wing parties in the election results.
The success of right-wing parties in multiple countries reflects a growing trend against traditional centrist or center-left leaders, signaling potential difficulties in governance. For example, in Spain, the center-right Popular Party emerged victorious in the elections, with the ultra-right Vox party coming in third place. Projections show that the center-right European People’s Party is likely to be the strongest party in the European Parliament, forming a coalition with other center-right and liberal parties.
However, left-wing and independent groups are also projected to have a significant number of representatives in the new European Parliament. Leaders like Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk saw success in
