Right-wing populist surge predicted for EU election
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The populist right will surge at the EU election in June, a new poll for the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) forecasted.
The poll, published Wednesday, suggests big gains for the far-right Identity & Democracy faction, which could gain 40 seats for a total of 98, becoming the European Parliament’s third-largest group. The right-wing European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group is also expected to make gains.
Despite these projections, the poll suggests that the current pro-European forces of the European People’s Party (EPP), Socialists & Democrats (S&D) and Renew Europe could still cobble together a majority in the Parliament.
With so many more MEPs to the right of the spectrum, the center of gravity in the Parliament would shift away from the liberal Renew Europe group and toward the EPP.
The EPP might be able to do away with the left-leaning majority, including Renew, the Socialists and the Greens, which has been crucial in driving climate and green policies since 2019. But there would be questions, especially for leader Manfred Weber, about whether the EPP would still rule out cooperating, officially or otherwise, with the far right.
A right-wing surge in Parliament may hinder green policies, affect foreign affairs and boost pro-Russia representation, with Kremlin-backing Bulgarian party Revival on track to win three seats and enter the Parliament, the new poll suggests.
