European elections 2019: EPP likely to form a pro-EU Grand Coalition

BRUSSELS (Monday, 27 May 2019) – Amidst highest turnout in two decades the European Elections 2019 results are in favour of “The centre-right European People’s Party (EPP)” which remains the largest bloc, and is expected to form a pro-EU grand coalition.

The Far-Right and Nationalist Parties saw strong gains but could not achieve their expected targets.

In UK, the newly-formed Brexit Party claimed a big victory, and a strong performance by the Liberal Democrats came amid massive losses for the Conservatives and Labour.

Parties committed to strengthening the European Union held on to two-thirds of seats in the EU parliament, official projections from the bloc’s elections showed on Sunday, though far-right and nationalist opponents saw strong gains.

France’s Emmanuel Macron, who has staked his presidency on persuading Europeans that the EU is the answer to the challenges of an uncertain, globalising world economy, took a personal hit when his centrist movement was edged into second place by Marine Le Pen’s anti-immigration, anti-Brussels National Rally.

But Macron’s Renaissance, built on the ruins of centre-left and centre-right parties, added to gains for liberals at the EU level as turnout bounced sharply across the bloc. Along with a surge for the Greens, that meant four groups occupying the pro-EU middle ground lost under 20 seats, securing 505 seats out of 751, according to a projection by the European Parliament.

That may complicate some policymaking, as a two-party “grand coalition” of the conservative European People’s Party (EPP) and the Socialists (S&D) no longer has a majority. The liberals, with over 100 seats and Greens, with nearly 70, want a big say.

But it also dents the hopes of Le Pen, Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini and others who have been seeking to disrupt attempts to forge closer EU integration. Salvini called the elections a mandate for a shake-up in Brussels.

Meanwhile tensions among nationalists including the new Brexit Party of British campaigner Nigel Farage, the Polish and Hungarian ruling parties, have limited their impact on policy.

Highest Turnout since two decades:

EU officials were delighted by an increase in voter turnout to 51%, which is 8% up from 43% in year 2014 thereby greatly increasing the voter participation.

A stronger voice for the liberals and Greens could see the next EU executive seek a tougher line on regulating polluting industries, taxing multinational companies or demanding trading partners help contain climate change along pressing its own members, notably in the east, not to damage civil rights.

This was highest turnout in 20 years which eliminates the perception that EU lacks proper democracy and counters the unprecedented smears from the United States under President Donald Trump, hostility from Russia under President Vladimir Putin and EU’s self-created anxiety over the rising trading power of China.