Far right set to gain seats in European Parliament election: Study

ANKARA

Eurosceptic and far-right parties will gain seats in the European Parliament in elections on Jun. 6-9, according to a new report by a think tank.

Anti-European populist parties are expected to top the polls in Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland and Slovakia and finish second or third in Bulgaria, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Portugal, Romania, Spain and Sweden, said the report by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR).

It was predicted that the traditional parties in the European Parliament, including the European People's Party (EPP), which brings together Christian Democrats and conservatives, and the second largest political group, the Socialists and Democrats (S&D), would lose votes, while the conservative European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) party and far-right Identity and Democracy (ID) group would increase their votes and become "key players" in the parliament.

-Right-wing majority coalition in European Parliament for first time

According to forecasts, almost half of the seats in the European Parliament could be won by parties other than the current coalition of centrist groups. On the other hand, the populist right-wing coalition of Christian Democrats, conservatives and radical right-wing members of the European Parliament is likely to win a majority for the first time.

The authors of the report commented that the overall balance of power in the European Parliament will shift to the right, pointing to potential competition between the EPP, S&D and liberal-leaning Renew Europe, which hold almost half of the seats in the parliament, and far-right parties that will increase their votes.

The report predicted an increase in pro-Russian attitudes in the European Parliament regarding support for Ukraine and fiscal policy and less centralization of fiscal policy.

It also said that if Donald Trump wins the presidential elections in the US and right-wing parties increase their seats in the European Parliament, the nationalist and closed approach that is likely to be adopted will have an impact on EU-US relations.

-EU girding for possibility of Trump reelection

Thierry Breton, the European Commissioner for the Internal Market, said then-US President Donald Trump warned European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland in 2020.

Trump allegedly told her: "By the way, NATO is dead, and we will leave NATO," said Breton.

EU officials believe that if Trump is reelected, Europe's security can no longer be entrusted to NATO.

Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said Europe "should not be afraid of being alone" if Trump wins the US presidential elections on Nov. 5.

​​​​​​​*Writing in Istanbul by Zeynep Cetin