Europe 'is going wild' as far-right vote surges: 'What is happening?'

A right wing Europe appears to be "here to stay", political spectators warn, as votes are tallied in the European Union's parliamentary elections – sending ructions through the continent.

Far-right parties across the Europe have so far made "crushing" gains, delivering humiliating defeats to some of the bloc's most important leaders: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron and Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer.

The vote is expected to result in the balance of power shifting further toward conservatism in the 720-seat parliament, that helps shape and approve legislation in the powerful bloc.

With Macron calling a snap election in a bid to win back voter support on home soil and populist parties performing well in Italy and the Netherlands — where the far-right won the most recent local elections — many observers online have been left wondering "what's going on?" as EU politics is "going wild".

Some experts are asserting that European politics is about to get a whole lot "more polarising, more politicised and more populistic" — here's a look at what happened in some key countries in the June 6-9 EU elections.

France

This was the biggest bombshell of Europe's mass election night: President Emmanuel Macron's moderate pro-business party was so badly trounced by the far-right party of Marine Le Pen in the EU vote that he called a snap legislative election in France.

Propelled by her anti-immigration, nationalist ideas, Le Pen's National Rally party is forecast to win the most of France's 81 seats in the European Parliament — about twice as many as Macron's Renaissance movement.

Many French voters used the EU election to express dissatisfaction with Macron's management of the economy, farming rules, or security. The result hurts him as he tries to lead Europe-wide efforts to defend Ukraine and boost the EU's own defences and industry.

The National Rally's lead European Parliament candidate, Jordan Bardella, promises to limit free movement of migrants within the EU's open borders and dial back EU climate rules. The party no longer wants to leave the EU and the euro, but to weaken it from within.

On the left, France's long-suffering Socialist Party surged behind lead candidate Raphaël Glucksmann, who wants a more ambitious climate policy and protections for European businesses and workers.

• Analysis-Europe's far right seeks policy influence to match seat gains

• Europe's night of election drama capped by Macron bombshell

• Flemish nationalists to retain lead in Belgian parliament, far right gains

Germany

The incumbent leader of the EU's richest and most powerful country, Germany, also suffered a blow.

Projections showed support for Chancellor Olaf Scholz's centre-left Social Democrats fell to 14 per cent, their worst post-World War II result in a nationwide vote. The opposition conservative bloc maintained its position as the strongest German party in Brussels as it looks ahead to a national election expected early of next year.

The far-right Alternative for Germany made good gains despite a string of scandals surrounding its top two candidates for the EU legislature. That's especially sobering to many, given Germany's Nazi past.

Germany's Greens, central to globally important EU climate policy, saw support slump. Germany will have the largest number of the new European Parliament's 720 seats at 96.

Italy

Premier Giorgia Meloni's Brothers of Italy party, which has neo-fascist roots, is forecast to more than double its number of seats in the European Parliament since the last election. And that will hand her new power to influence policy in the EU. Voters gave Meloni's party even more support than in the last national elections in 2022.

Her pro-Ukraine and Israel policies have proven reassuring to centrist American and European allies, but she is leading culture wars at home that preserve her far-right credentials. The centre-left opposition Democratic Party came in second, followed by the other main opposition party, the 5-Star Movement.

Italy has 76 European parliamentary seats.

Hungary

Long-serving autocratic Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán saw yet another election victory — but a new challenger has upended his grip on Hungarian politics. Orbán's Fidesz party was expected to win 43 per cent of the vote, according to estimates from the EU Parliament.

Instead Fidesz was down nearly 10 points from its support in the last EU elections in 2019, and looked set to lose two seats. A deep economic crisis and a recent series of scandals involving Fidesz politicians have rocked the party which prides itself on upholding family values and Christian conservatism.

Challenger Péter Magyar broke ranks with Orbán's party in February and has built up Hungary's more centrist Respect and Freedom (TISZA) opposition party, which is expected to take 31 per cent of the vote. Orbán cast the election as an existential struggle between war and peace, telling voters that casting their ballots for his opposition would draw Hungary directly into the war in neighbouring Ukraine and precipitate a global armed conflict.

Slovakia

A pro-Western group won the EU elections in Slovakia, beating the party of populist, pro-Russian Prime Minister Robert Fico just weeks after he survived an assassination attempt.

The assassination attempt didn't help Fico's leftist Smer (Direction) party, the senior partner in the governing coalition. Smer has been attacking the EU's support for Ukraine, as well other policies on immigration, climate change and LGBTQ+ rights.

Progressive Slovakia won 27.8 per cent, or six seats in the EU parliament, according to provisional results. Smer follows at 24.8 per cent, or five seats. A far-right opposition party that wants Slovakia out of NATO, the Republic, finished third with 12.53 per cent and will have two seats.

with AP

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