The configuration of the new European Parliament poses a major challenge for politics on the old continent. For the first time in the history of the European Union, far-right groups are positioned as the third largest political force. The fragmentation of the right is also striking, despite its growth. This may be due in part to the marked divergence in political climates across Europe.
The creation of the new far-right groups, “Patriots for Europe” and “Europe of Sovereign Nations,” are clear representations of a voter base that has acquired a very large space in the European political scene in a rather worrying way. Faced with the growth of this new political wave, the traditional parties have suffered a resounding electoral fall in several EU countries. Cases such as those of France and Germany resonate due to the polarisation that has been forming in their own legislative bodies and their national electoral arenas. There no longer seems to be harmony or certainty in the face of the new and disruptive discursive pattern of the far-right, which already governs in several European countries, in Italy and Hungary with a solid majority, and under governing coalitions in the Netherlands, Sweden, Croatia, Slovakia and Finland. Indubitably, the growth of the far-right in the European Parliament will translate into greater difficulties in dialogue and compromise between the various blocs.
Europe seems more disunited than at any time since the creation of today’s EU institutions. Although there is a common front between the traditional forces not to make a pact with the far-right, the harsh reality is that political gridlock is extremely close to becoming a reality. Forces that previously seemed to promise change such as the Greens, who obtained very good results in 2019, deflated in these elections. Meanwhile, the main forces of the centre-right and centre-left should evaluate their internal narrative as well as face up to their recent results. Despite the common and necessary united front, employed both discursively and politically, the far-right continues to rise.
Nationalist discourse has become part of the dichotomy of the EU. Paradoxically, it has been an attribute of the far-right that has given it several electoral successes, but also its Achilles heel when it comes to dialogue between its counterparts in the European Parliament. If negotiations between the parties of this ideological current had led to a successful configuration under a single group, they would have been the second largest political force in the European Parliament.
The political situation on the continent is critical. The European Parliament faces an existential challenge to its current political structure. The question of whether the EU is still truly European and united is becoming increasingly relevant. The Union, founded on principles of integration and shared values, faces growing tension between those who defend a more united Europe and those who promote nationalist and sovereignist agendas.
One factor that aggravates this situation is the growing distrust towards European institutions in many member countries. Populist movements, especially on the far-right, have capitalised on the economic and social malaise felt by many European citizens. They promise quick, national solutions in the face of what they perceive as a distant and disconnected European bureaucracy.
In addition, the migration issue remains a point of great friction. Far-right parties have used this issue to gain support, proposing restrictive policies, contrary to the principles of solidarity and human rights that the EU has traditionally defended. The arrival of refugees and migrants has tested the ability of member countries to cooperate, with some nations refusing to accept redistribution quotas, further weakening the unity of the bloc.
The EU’s role on the global stage is similarly uneasy and imperilled. With the growing influence of China, Russia and the U.S., the EU must chart and broadcast a clear geopolitical strategy. However, internal divisions make it difficult to form a common front on foreign policy issues, weakening the Union's position in international negotiations and its ability to respond to global crises. A clear example of this is the division within party lines on the stances towards the war in Ukraine. Uncertainty permeates the EU’s lattice of alliances from all across the political spectrum. As the war drags on, the duration of governments seems to get shorter. Stability is no longer an epithet comfortably applied to European politics.
Once again the central question of this article gains relevance, is the European Union still European and United? If you believe the answer is “yes” then question yourself again, for how long?
Image: Flickr/European Parliament
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