- Questions are being raised about future policies within the EU bloc.
- “The position of the Italian prime minister is strengthened with the victory of the Brothers of Italy.”
- German Chancellor Olaf Scholz also faces defeat for the AfD.
Far-right parties made significant gains in Sunday's European Parliament elections, forcing French President Emmanuel Macron to dissolve his government and call early elections later this month.
While the centrist, liberal and socialist parties were expected to maintain a majority in the 720-seat parliament, the election results dealt a severe blow to the leaders of France and Germany. cnn reported.
This raises questions about how the European Union's major powers can shape politics within the bloc.
Far-right members of the European Parliament from France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Austria and the Netherlands were successful.
Like Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz also endured a painful night in which his Social Democrats achieved the worst result in their history, suffering at the hands of traditional conservatives and the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). Reuters reported.
Meanwhile, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni saw her position strengthened when her ultra-conservative Brothers of Italy group won the most votes, exit polls showed.
A shift to the right within the European Parliament may make it difficult to pass new legislation that might be needed to respond to security challenges, the impact of climate change or industrial competition from China and the United States.
However, the exact influence that Eurosceptic nationalist parties will wield will depend on their ability to overcome their differences and work together.
They are currently divided into two different families, and some parties and legislators are currently outside these groups.
