In the recent European parliamentary elections, far-right parties made significant gains across several countries, potentially reshaping the continent’s approach to Middle Eastern affairs. Nearly 200 million EU citizens participated, resulting in far-right parties joining governing coalitions in Finland, Sweden, the Netherlands, Italy, and Croatia. In France, the National Rally party surpassed President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist Renaissance party, prompting Macron to call for snap elections. In Germany, the far-right Alternative for Germany (AFD) secured nearly 16% of the vote, while Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s coalition performed poorly.
Despite these gains, centrist parties retained the majority of seats. The center-right European People’s Party (EPP) and the center-left Socialists and Democrats (S&D) maintained significant representation, with the EPP holding 189 seats and S&D 135 seats. James Moran, an associate senior fellow at the Center for European Policy Studies, noted that the real influence of the far-right will depend on their unity.
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The far-right’s stance on Israel and Ukraine varies, with some supporting Israel’s fight against terrorism while others hold antisemitic views. Emmanuel Navon, director of the European Leadership Network’s Israel branch, warned that some far-right members might push for more isolationist policies, potentially weakening EU support for Ukraine and NATO.
Immigration policy was a key issue in the elections, with far-right factions agreeing on stricter controls and securing more agreements with transit countries. Stefan Lehne from Carnegie Europe highlighted their focus on bolstering Frontex, the EU’s border management agency.
Giorgia Valente reports [2] that economic challenges, high immigration, and low birth rates contributed to the far-right’s success. Notably, younger voters also turned to the far-right, debunking the myth that youth predominantly support leftist parties. The elections have implications for EU foreign policy, with mixed positions on recognizing a Palestinian state and growing concerns over Islamophobia and antisemitism.
For a comprehensive analysis of these developments, read the full article [2] by Giorgia Valente.