In the past, I talked about the EU general elections in Self-talkHaebom, and recently, the results of the 2023 European Parliament general elections, an important moment that will determine the future of the European Union, came out. This election heralds a change in the European political landscape along with several surprises. The dynamics of the European Union Summit, where the heads of government and administrative heads of each country gather to set the direction of the European Union, the European Commission, which acts as a kind of executive branch of the European Union, and the European Parliament are expected to undergo many changes depending on the results of this election. Will be.
European Parliament and major political party coalition
The European Parliament is composed of lawmakers elected from each member state and plays an important role in deliberating the EU's legislation and budget. The election was held from June 6 to 9, and voters in each country elected representatives to represent their country.
Major political party coalitions and their achievements
European People's Party (EPP): A coalition of traditional conservative parties, the main members of which are Germany's Christian Union (CDU) and Spain's People's Party (PP). It won 190 seats in the election, making it still the largest bloc in the European Parliament.
Social Democratic and Progressive Alliance (S&D): A center-left coalition that remains the second largest, with 136 seats.
European Conservative and Reform Party (ECR): A coalition of hard-right parties led by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. 66 seats were secured.
Identity and Democracy (ID): A coalition of far-right parties, the Alternative for Germany (AfD) won 58 seats despite the controversy, and if you include the AfD's seats, the number rises to 73.
Renew Europe: A liberal and centrist coalition that includes French President Emmanuel Macron's party. Although it secured 96 seats in this election, President Macron's Renaissance Party only won 13 seats, reducing its influence.
Greens/EFA: Environmentalist and left-leaning coalition, won 73 seats.
Changes in the European Parliament and the rise of the right
This election was particularly notable for the strength of right-wing parties. The European People's Party (EPP) remains the largest coalition, but hard-right and far-right parties are making notable advances. The propaganda of the European Conservative and Reform Party (ECR) and Identity and Democracy (ID) shows that Europe's political landscape is shifting to the right.
France's political gamble: President Macron declares early general election
French President Emmanuel Macron declared early general elections following the Renaissance Party's crushing defeat in the European Parliament elections. This appears to be a strategy to prevent Marine Le Pen's National Coalition, a far-right party, from having a greater influence in French politics. President Macron hopes to regain political leadership through early general elections, but it is unclear whether this gamble will pay off given his low approval ratings.
France adopts a dual government system, where the president oversees defense and foreign policy, and the prime minister runs day-to-day state affairs. Because of this, the president and prime minister often belong to different political parties. It remains to be seen whether this early general election will end as a political gamble by President Macron, or whether it will be a decisive moment to prevent the rise of the far-right.
Characteristics of European Parliament elections
European Parliament elections are often used as a forum to express dissatisfaction with national governments. Since voters' votes are often determined by their own country's political issues rather than the policies of the European Union, the results of this election also had a strong warning to the current government and vested political forces.
Aside from the fact that they are almost all right-wing, it is also important to note that there is a significant proportion of far-right people (more than 10%) among them.
The 2024 European Parliament elections herald new changes in European politics. The rise of right-wing parties and the weakness of the centrist liberal coalition are reshaping Europe's political balance. In particular, France's early general election is expected to have a big impact throughout Europe. The European Union is at a point where it needs to find a new direction amidst these changes. The results of this election will be an important turning point that will determine the future of Europe.
