Macron’s explosive remarks set off dramatic night across EU

The exit polls came after European elections in the 27-nation bloc, when French President Emmanuel Macron made explosive remarks to a stunned French public in a televised address.

“I have decided to put the choice of the future of our parliament back to you through a vote. Therefore, I will dissolve the National Assembly. he declared.

The National Rally party, led by Macron’s rivals Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardera, was in what was expected to be one of the major victories for Europe’s far-right parties, with all exit polls confirming support for the party above 30%. It’s twice that number.

But outside France, the broader story of Europe’s four-day marathon vote actually belongs to centre-right parties.

They have tightened control of the European Parliament, scored victories in Germany and Spain and made significant gains in Hungary against long-ruling Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

The far right has not gained as much support in Europe as many predicted.

inside NetherlandsGeert Wilders’ Freedom Party came in second, while Austria’The party of the same name ultimately won, but only by a small margin.

Ursula von der Leyen, the center-right president of the European Commission, said: “The center is holding on, but the extremes on the left and right are really gaining support as well.”

“That’s why the center parties bear a huge responsibility for this outcome.”

There were rumors ahead of the vote that her European People’s Party might consider talking to two far-right right-wing groups.

But she made clear that her only allies were the Socialists and Democrats and the liberal Ennahda party, including Macron’s party.

GermanyThe opposition conservatives always came out on top, receiving an impressive 30% of the vote.

But it was the worst result of any European election for Chancellor Olaf Schulz’s Social Democratic Party, which came in third behind the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD).

The AfD has weathered a series of scandals involving espionage, foreign interference and accusations of Nazi sympathies, but its approval ratings remain high.

“After all the doomsday predictions, after the onslaught of the last few weeks, we are the second most powerful force. I’m telling you, the only way is up,” said co-leader Alice Wedel.

Meanwhile, the new anti-immigration far-left party BSW, led by charismatic left-wing firebrand Sahra Wagenknecht, also performed well, giving the radical party a good night.

exist SpainThe centre-right opposition Popular Party (PP) defeated Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s Socialist Party, but not by as big a margin as PP leader Alberto Nunez Fejo had hoped.

Vox, another far-right party, ranked third.

At the same time, in ItalyGeorgia Meloni’s dominance of the country’s politics continues.

Her far-right Brothers of Italy party defeated Elie Schlein’s center-left Democratic Party by less than four percentage points.

“Thank you to the Italians who continue to choose us… I am proud of the result tonight,” she told her supporters.

In just five years, Ms Meloni’s party has more than doubled its number of seats in the European Parliament, and Ms Schlein’s performance has surprised even party activists.

There are no far-right success stories BelgiumThe victory in the national election came despite the Flemish separatist party Vlaams Belang being widely expected to win.

The Flemish National Union is now the dominant party there, ending the rule of liberal Prime Minister Alexander De Croo.

“The far right is not doing well in Belgium, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Finland and Poland. But it is not doing well in France,” said Professor Alberto Alemanno of HEC Paris, who expressed his disapproval of President Macron’s decision to dissolve Parliament was surprised.

“These election results have the potential to drive governments out of a country disproportionately,” he told the BBC.