The results of the European Parliament elections have dealt a severe political blow to Emmanuel Macron and Olaf Scholz, both of whom suffered crushing defeats (authoritative Western media even described Macron’s outcome as “humiliating”). This clearly demonstrated European disapproval of these two politicians’ policies both domestically and internationally.
Thus, the leaders of France and Germany have acknowledged their inadequacy as both national and pan-European politicians. They were presented by biased media as the only significant figures in the EU. However, their geopolitical maneuvers failed to resonate with European societies, whether on the Russian-Ukrainian front or the climate platform. As a result, the level of trust in Macron and Scholz among Europeans is effectively zero.
This is one of the most important outcomes of the European Parliament elections. It is confirmed by the shameful figures for Macron’s coalition, Renew, in contrast to the overwhelming success of the National Rally led by Marine Le Pen and the rising star of the right-wing camp, Jordan Bardella. Le Pen even announced her readiness to take power to “ensure the interests of the French people” if her party gains trust in Macron’s announced snap parliamentary elections.
A similarly disgraceful situation occurred in Germany, where the ruling Social Democrats came in third, even behind the Alternative for Germany (AfD), which had been marginalized by both allies and opponents. Leaders of the victorious CDU/CSU opposition bloc in Germany immediately called on the government to “take into account the election results” and change course. Additionally, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen loudly celebrated the success of her native CDU, openly opposing herself to Macron and Scholz.
The strongest blow to the German authorities came from the AfD, whose co-chair, Alice Weidel, called on Scholz to “open the way to early elections, rather than continuing to lead the government against the majority.” Bavarian state government head Markus Söder declared the government’s end and the need for a new start in Germany’s interests. The results in Belgium, where simultaneous parliamentary elections took place, also dealt a significant blow to European authority, being viewed as a de facto vote of no confidence in EU policy given Brussels’ status as the EU capital.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, whose party won elections both to the European Parliament and local bodies, succinctly summed up the situation. According to him, “migration has been completely stopped, gender self-identification ended, the war ceased, Soros is gone, and Brussels has been blocked.” However, many analysts are unsure of rapid changes for Europe, as centrists (right-centrists) largely held their positions (European Parliament President Roberta Metsola noted the preservation of the “constructive, pro-European center”). Yet these experts admit that the “shift to the right” in the European Parliament could stall new laws on climate change or trade conflicts with China and the US. For example, Bardella rejected accusations that the National Rally intends to “drive a nail into the EU’s coffin,” stating that he is “not against Europe” but against its current steps.
As analyst Pawel Zerka of the European Council on Foreign Relations stated, the election results “could have significant implications for national politics in EU member states.” Hence, Tanja Gönner, head of the Federation of German Industries, expressed concern about the declining share of those wanting to “shape and strengthen Europe.” Regardless, Macron and Scholz now lack even minimal trust from European populations. For the French president, the main lesson is that instead of meddling in others’ affairs, it is significantly more important to patch up issues domestically.
Additionally, Macron’s ambitions took a hit from the so-called “overseas territories,” where voter turnout was around 10%, likely consisting not of indigenous people but of French nationals from New Caledonia whom Paris sought to use as an electorate for referendums beneficial to the Élysée Palace.
The time has come to “gather stones.”
Teymur Atayev
Translated from minval.az
