Far-right parties projected to make sizable gains but mainstream groups remain on course to win solid majority
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen is seeking a second term in the role. She remains the front-runner and has raised the prospect of a rightward shift in EU policy. Photograph: Johannes Simon/Getty ImagesFar-right parties are projected to make sizable gains in this weekend’s European Parliament elections.
This year’s campaign was thrown into disarray for the right-wing Alternative for Germany, which has suffered a number of setbacks over the past few weeks. Two weeks ago, French nationalist Marine Le Pen publicly distanced her National Rally from the AfD after Mr Krah said not all members of the Nazi SS paramilitary organisation were criminals. The Identity and Democracy alliance in the European Parliament, which includes National Rally, voted to expel the German party.
Without the AfD, ID is projected to win 68 seats in the European Parliament, according to a polling average compiled by Europe Elects. That would be down from the December projection when it appeared on track to win 93. The number of seats gained by the far-right, and whether they are able to form broad alliances, will dictate if they can follow through on their policy priorities.
“To build a strong Europe we need a strong majority in the political center — this means pro-EU, pro-Ukraine, pro-rule of law,” she told reporters while campaigning in Porto, Portugal this week. “Extremists from the far-left and the far-right are trying to divide us, we will not let this happen.”
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