How can Europeβs progressives fight back? A coalition of losers is now their best hope | Paul Taylor
Far-right gains have left liberals and Greens reeling β but despite differences, their interest lies in banding together
For Europeβs centre-left, it was the night from hell. Liberals and Greens took a beating in many countries and lost dozens of seats as nationalist and Eurosceptic parties grabbed nearly a quarter of the seats in the European parliament. The centre-left Socialists and Democrats (S&D) slipped just below their existing total thanks to unexpectedly strong scores in Italy and Spain.
Worse still, France, the EUβs pivotal power, saw the biggest far-right gains. That prompted President Emmanuel Macron to call a high-risk snap election that could clear the way for Marine Le Penβs anti-immigration National Rally to sweep into government within a month.
Paul Taylor is a senior visiting fellow at the European Policy Centre
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Continue reading...Β© Photograph: Lisa Leutner/Reuters
Β© Photograph: Lisa Leutner/Reuters