The European Union parliamentary elections began in the Netherlands with an exit poll indicating that Geert Wilders’ far-right party had made significant gains. The poll suggested that Wilders’ Party for Freedom was in a tight race with a center-left alliance to emerge as the largest party. This reflected a trend of strong electoral gains for the hard right across the EU, with growing divisions over the role of the EU in member states. Similar divisions were seen in campaigns across Europe, from Finland to Portugal, and Belgium to Hungary. The final results for the entire EU are set to be announced in Brussels after all 27 EU nations have voted.
Geert Wilders’ Party for Freedom was projected to win seven seats, a considerable increase from its previous one seat in the Parliament. With the final results across the EU to be announced on Sunday, it was too close to declare a definitive winner. Wilders, despite not achieving the same success as in the national elections, was upbeat about his party’s performance. Wilders aims to curtail the powers of EU institutions to allow member states more autonomy, particularly on issues such as migration and climate change measures. Although he seeks to limit the EU’s powers, he also wants more influence in the European Parliament to weaken it from within.
Frans Timmermans, leader of the social democrat-greens alliance, celebrated their performance in the elections, highlighting the diversity of the Netherlands in the face of the hard-right gains. The alliance lost to Wilders in the national elections but managed to hold its ground in the European Parliament elections. Timmermans emphasized the importance of a pro-European majority to strengthen Europe. The rise of hard-right leaders in the EU has led to populist, far-right, and extremist parties taking power in several countries and gaining public support across the continent.
The European Parliament elections are a significant democratic exercise, with almost 400 million voters electing 720 members from countries across Europe. The results will impact global issues such as climate policies, defense, migration, and geopolitical relations. The number of members elected in each country is based on its population size. Following the UK’s departure from the EU, the number of MEPs decreased to 705 from the previous 751. MEPs play a crucial role in voting on legislation covering various topics and deciding EU budget allocations.
The EU elections are the world’s second-largest democratic exercise after India’s elections, and have high stakes for the future of the European Union. With early voting in some countries, the Netherlands kickstarted the process, followed by other EU nations over the weekend. The results are set to be announced on Sunday night, with MEPs electing their president at the first plenary session. The president of the European Commission will be nominated by member states, following a proposal made by MEPs. In the previous election, Ursula von der Leyen was elected as the first woman to head the European Commission, and is seeking a second term in office.
