European Parliamentary Elections 2019

European Union elections and the wounded two main parties of Britain

The Brexit Party is only six weeks old (formed 12 April 2019) but it's deep impact on a power shift away from the centre with 28 seats at the election on 23 May 2019 for the European Parliament, is a change in the political landscape of Britain.

It has been an exciting vote for generations.We saw how politics has become polarised.

Trust in the two main parties in their ability to create change for the better in people's lives was seen in the result. Labour came third in the election. The Conservatives fared the worst in their defeat in 200 years.

Man of the night

Nigel Farage once leader of UKIP, now the live wire of the new Brexit Party said he is getting ready and could even win a General Election as  his Brexit Party sweeps to victory. He further said this is a massive message to both the major parties.

With a population of 400 million in 28 states of Europe,the European Parliamentary elections are for 751 seats, with UK having 73 seats in Brussels.

We have seen a monopoly of power of the centrist left and  centrist right parties being broken with the biggest turnout in 20 years. Turnout in this years' election was up by nearly 10 points compared with five years ago, the highest according to observers,with the young voting.. 

Traditionally large centrist parties (European Political Party -EPP) and the centrist left party (Social Democrats) have suffered significant losses as Greens, Liberals, and Populist nationalist parties  have gained ground in Brussels.

Although they have lost control,the Pro EU parties are still expected to be in a majority and will now need to seek alliances with other small parties like the Greens. 

President Macron's  Renaissance Alliance party in France was beaten by the National Rally party of Marine Le Pen.,

In Italy, Matteo Salvini's  Lega Nord party won the largest number of seats for the nationalists.

In Britain, Nigel Forage's,Brexit Party, won the popular vote.

While in Germany,the Green Party (Die Grunen) jumped to second place doubling its share of the vote with 20%, solidly beating the dominant Social Democrats.

The Greens also surged in Ireland and came second place in Finland,with the biggest gains in for the Greens in England and Wales from three to seven seats.
                                                     

   

Gains for the parties all over Europe was for pro Pro EU,for environmentalis,and left leaning appear  to have mostly been concentrated in urban areas and among younger voters.The gains for the ecologists come amid anti-climate change protests across Europe. 

What to watch out in Europe?

There is much speculation who will take over the Presidency of the European Commission from Jean Claude Juncker. The front runner is Germany's Manfred Weber, European People's Party.There are other contenders also running and if it is a choice of a woman candidate, the likely candidate is Mme Ska Keller, a German Green MEP. While Matteo Salvini,a Populist and Deputy Prime Minister of Italy and Head of the Lega Nord, an anti establishment party candidate may want to take control. His photo is not among the front runners as below.

What it means for the future of Europe?

A mixed picture can be seen for the future of Europe and for Brexit in England in the months and years to come. It will be a surprise if the Populist -Nationalists of the right parties in Europe, Matteo Salvini, Marine Le Pen and Nigel Farage can come together and take over control of Europe?

Victor Cherubim