Centrist bloc loses majority in EU vote as Greens and euroskeptics gain
- 5 years ago
We saw some unexpected outcomes from the European elections.... that reflect the overall sentiment of the people in Europe.
Hong Yoo reports.
The most prominent takeaways from the European parliamentary election are fragmentation and polarization.
Fragmentation because the two centrist groups, the European People's Party and the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats lost seats to smaller parties like the Greens and a variety of populist groups.
Now that these centrist groups have lost their majority, they will have to work more closely with liberal members of Parliament to form a working majority.
The surge in the Greens' vote was most pronounced in Germany where climate has been a big theme and the country has a heavy reliance on coal and other polluting energy sources.
Polarization in the election saw populists and euroskeptic parties increase their share of seats to 25 percent, up from about 20 percent five years ago.
Populists did well in the countries where they are in power like Italy, Hungary and Poland.
Asked to comment on the results, the EU Commission's spokesperson told a press briefing that populists did not win the election and instead it was pro-EU forces that 'won the day'.
"The populists didn't win this election. Contrary to doomsayers' prophecies, it is the pro-EU political forces across the political spectrum that won the day. Those who won the elections are the ones who want to work in and for Europe - not those who want to destroy Europe."
The EU had feared that fewer voters would show up as turnout has constantly dropped since the first direct elections in 1979.
But this year's election was different, with polls showing the turnout rate at 50-point-9 percent, the highest in two decades.
The biggest domestic issue was observed in the UK, where the British government's inability to deliver on Brexit, caused both the Conservatives of Prime Minister Theresa May and the main opposition Labour Party to have their worst European election results in decades.
With Nigel Farage's Brexit Party winning the most seats in the UK and the biggest share of the vote, some observers say the next prime minister is likely to be a hardline Brexiteer, who might even take Britain out of the EU without a deal.
Hong Yoo, Arirang News.
Hong Yoo reports.
The most prominent takeaways from the European parliamentary election are fragmentation and polarization.
Fragmentation because the two centrist groups, the European People's Party and the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats lost seats to smaller parties like the Greens and a variety of populist groups.
Now that these centrist groups have lost their majority, they will have to work more closely with liberal members of Parliament to form a working majority.
The surge in the Greens' vote was most pronounced in Germany where climate has been a big theme and the country has a heavy reliance on coal and other polluting energy sources.
Polarization in the election saw populists and euroskeptic parties increase their share of seats to 25 percent, up from about 20 percent five years ago.
Populists did well in the countries where they are in power like Italy, Hungary and Poland.
Asked to comment on the results, the EU Commission's spokesperson told a press briefing that populists did not win the election and instead it was pro-EU forces that 'won the day'.
"The populists didn't win this election. Contrary to doomsayers' prophecies, it is the pro-EU political forces across the political spectrum that won the day. Those who won the elections are the ones who want to work in and for Europe - not those who want to destroy Europe."
The EU had feared that fewer voters would show up as turnout has constantly dropped since the first direct elections in 1979.
But this year's election was different, with polls showing the turnout rate at 50-point-9 percent, the highest in two decades.
The biggest domestic issue was observed in the UK, where the British government's inability to deliver on Brexit, caused both the Conservatives of Prime Minister Theresa May and the main opposition Labour Party to have their worst European election results in decades.
With Nigel Farage's Brexit Party winning the most seats in the UK and the biggest share of the vote, some observers say the next prime minister is likely to be a hardline Brexiteer, who might even take Britain out of the EU without a deal.
Hong Yoo, Arirang News.