This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/28/world/europe/european-union-elections-populists.html

The article has changed 2 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Sure, the Populists Gained, but the Real Winners May Be for Europe Sure, the Populists Gained, but the Real Winners May Be for Europe
(32 minutes later)
BRUSSELS — The results this week of the European Parliament elections were a humiliating blow at home to President Emmanuel Macron of France, as his party finished second to the far-right nationalist Marine Le Pen.BRUSSELS — The results this week of the European Parliament elections were a humiliating blow at home to President Emmanuel Macron of France, as his party finished second to the far-right nationalist Marine Le Pen.
But at a European level — where Mr. Macron’s party did not even exist for the last election in 2014 — he will now be represented by his own, fairly sizable, bloc in Parliament. But in the Parliament itself, his party could be the kingmaker because there will be no working majority without it.
There, if not the king, his party could be the kingmaker, because there will be no working majority in the fragmented Parliament without it. That gives Mr. Macron, who has been the biggest booster of deeper integration between European Union members, an opportunity to push through change. That gives Mr. Macron, who has been the biggest booster among European leaders of deeper integration between European Union members, an opportunity to push through change — and to counter the populist and nationalist right.
For 40 years, the centrist parties — both right and left — have held majorities in the European Parliament. But in this election, they lost the majority, and so Mr. Macron’s party, together with liberal parties in a group called ALDE, will be necessary to create a sustainable working majority of pro-European parties. Mr. Macron’s party — which did not even exist in the last European elections in 2014 — together with a group of liberal parties can create a sustainable working majority of pro-European parties.
Mr. Macron and other allied newcomers — in particular the Green Party, which did especially well with young voters worried about climate change — have made clear they intend to use their new position to affect change in both who runs the European Union and its policies. These parties, and in particular the Green Party, which did especially well with young voters worried about climate change, have made clear they intend to use their new position to effect change in both who runs the European Union and its policies.
The new majority will also be needed to stand up to, and potentially block, the more emboldened populist and nationalist right, which increased its share as a group by five percentage points and now holds about 25 percent of seats. The new majority will also be able to stand up to, and potentially block, the more emboldened populist and nationalist right, which increased its share as a group by five percentage points and now holds about 25 percent of seats.
That surge is yet another measure of the erosion of popular backing for a more integrated Europe and has given the populists still more momentum in their home countries. But it was not as much as they had hoped for, and likely not enough to paralyze the European Parliament or much shape its agenda. Altogether, the pro-European parties, along with the Greens, will control 502 of the 751 seats, limiting the power of the populists to gum up the system, and providing leverage for Mr. Macron and his allies in their desire to shake Europe to embrace a different future.
Altogether, the pro-European parties, along with the Greens, will control 502 of the 751 seats, limiting the power of the populists to gum up the system and providing leverage for Mr. Macron, the Liberals and the Greens, and their desire to shake Europe to embrace a different future.
On Tuesday, Mr. Macron, undaunted by his bruising at home, outlined a broad agenda of renewal for Europe, including items like “the climate emergency,” new technology, job creation, growth, social protections such as a minimum wage, border protection, migration and deepening the still fragile eurozone.On Tuesday, Mr. Macron, undaunted by his bruising at home, outlined a broad agenda of renewal for Europe, including items like “the climate emergency,” new technology, job creation, growth, social protections such as a minimum wage, border protection, migration and deepening the still fragile eurozone.
“We’ll have to choose people on the basis of this ambition,” Mr. Macron said. “We will need women and men who embody this renewal, who have the experience and credibility to carry out this mission.”“We’ll have to choose people on the basis of this ambition,” Mr. Macron said. “We will need women and men who embody this renewal, who have the experience and credibility to carry out this mission.”
That does not, he and the Liberals made clear in a joint statement, mean the selection of Manfred Weber for the presidency of the European Commission, replacing Jean-Claude Juncker. That does not, he and his allies in the liberal group made clear in a joint statement, mean the selection of Manfred Weber for the presidency of the European Commission, replacing Jean-Claude Juncker.
Mr. Weber is the candidate of the conservatives in the center right, a group known as the European People’s Party. Its members include supporters of Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, who has slow-walked or stymied Mr. Macron’s more ambitious plans for Europe. Mr. Weber is the candidate of conservatives in the center right.
But Mr. Macron and his allies argue that even if the E.P.P. is the largest grouping in Parliament, it lost a significant number of seats, and Mr. Weber, many feel, represents the past. “For us it is important that the next president of the commission is representing a broad pro-European majority with a clear program to renew Europe,” said Guy Verhofstadt, the leader of the liberal group, the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe, known as ALDE.
“For us it is important that the next president of the commission is representing a broad pro-European majority with a clear program to renew Europe,” said Guy Verhofstadt, the leader of ALDE, the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe.
In a joint statement on Tuesday, ALDE and Mr. Macron’s En Marche party said bluntly, “At this hour, no candidate for the presidency of the commission has secured a majority in the European Parliament.”In a joint statement on Tuesday, ALDE and Mr. Macron’s En Marche party said bluntly, “At this hour, no candidate for the presidency of the commission has secured a majority in the European Parliament.”
The horse trading for this job, followed by the other critical jobs — president of the European Council, foreign policy chief and, indirectly, the head of the European Central Bank — is likely to take many weeks, if not months, beginning with an informal dinner Tuesday night in Brussels.The horse trading for this job, followed by the other critical jobs — president of the European Council, foreign policy chief and, indirectly, the head of the European Central Bank — is likely to take many weeks, if not months, beginning with an informal dinner Tuesday night in Brussels.
Though it is up to the heads of state and government in the European Council to name a replacement for Mr. Juncker as commission president, the choice must be approved by Parliament.Though it is up to the heads of state and government in the European Council to name a replacement for Mr. Juncker as commission president, the choice must be approved by Parliament.
And once a commission president is picked, Parliament must approve the entire slate of commissioners. The success of the Greens in the election will be a significant shift in the Parliament.
The maneuvering for commission president must take account of balance in terms of region, size, ideology and gender. And the preferences of Mr. Macron and his allies must also be taken into consideration, including those of the Greens.
“I would expect that the Green wave that we had in many countries, not in all, will have a strong impact on the program of the next commission president,” said Martin Selmayr, the secretary general of the European Commission.“I would expect that the Green wave that we had in many countries, not in all, will have a strong impact on the program of the next commission president,” said Martin Selmayr, the secretary general of the European Commission.
That by itself will be a significant shift. Céline Charveriat, executive director of the Institute for European Environmental Policy in Brussels, said that according to the bloc’s Eurobarometer polls, in the fall of 2018, 16 percent of respondents thought climate change was one of the top two issues, while only 6 percent thought so in 2016.
“There seems to be a real change,” said Céline Charveriat, executive director of the Institute for European Environmental Policy in Brussels. “The electorate has really started to reflect on environmental concerns.” “There seems to be a real change,” she said. “The electorate has really started to reflect on environmental concerns.”
According to the bloc’s Eurobarometer polls, she said, in the fall of 2018, 16 percent of respondents thought climate change was one of the top two issues, while only 6 percent thought so in 2016.
In Germany, the largest member state, the Greens had a smashing victory, becoming the second-largest party as the Social Democratic Party slumped to a disastrous result, with young people and urban elites deserting the left and the right to vote Green.In Germany, the largest member state, the Greens had a smashing victory, becoming the second-largest party as the Social Democratic Party slumped to a disastrous result, with young people and urban elites deserting the left and the right to vote Green.
The youth vote for the Greens is real, especially in Western and Northern Europe. “Partial data suggest that one in three people under 30 voted for a Green party, so there is definitely a generational element,” Ms. Charveriat said.The youth vote for the Greens is real, especially in Western and Northern Europe. “Partial data suggest that one in three people under 30 voted for a Green party, so there is definitely a generational element,” Ms. Charveriat said.
Having increased their number of seats by 17, to 69 out of 751 total, the Greens will be needed on many issues for a working majority. The Greens will be needed on many issues for a working majority, since they now hold 69 out of 751 total seats, an increase of 17 seats.
They intend to have a voice on issues that matter to them and their supporters, like climate change, renewable energy, biodiversity, pollution from plastics and an emphasis in new trade deals on environmental and labor standards. They intend to have a voice on issues like climate change, renewable energy, biodiversity, pollution from plastics and an emphasis in new trade deals on environmental and labor standards.
Ska Keller, the co-president of the Greens group, called the vote “a mandate for change in the European Union.”Ska Keller, the co-president of the Greens group, called the vote “a mandate for change in the European Union.”
The danger, however, is that the climate issue may now deepen Europe’s already widening rifts between urban and rural voters, and rich and poor.The danger, however, is that the climate issue may now deepen Europe’s already widening rifts between urban and rural voters, and rich and poor.
Populists, like those in the Yellow Vest movement who have challenged Mr. Macron in France, tend to see climate as an issue of the urban elite that punishes the jobless and those in small villages and the countryside, who need their cars.Populists, like those in the Yellow Vest movement who have challenged Mr. Macron in France, tend to see climate as an issue of the urban elite that punishes the jobless and those in small villages and the countryside, who need their cars.
Nathalie Tocci, director of Italy’s Institute of International Relations, warned that as the European Union becomes greener in its policies, “it may simply exacerbate the detachment some Europeans feel from the whole European project.”Nathalie Tocci, director of Italy’s Institute of International Relations, warned that as the European Union becomes greener in its policies, “it may simply exacerbate the detachment some Europeans feel from the whole European project.”
The Greens were largely nonexistent in Central and Southern Europe.The Greens were largely nonexistent in Central and Southern Europe.
“The priorities of people in countries in Central and Southeast Europe are different,” said Christian Egenhofer, who studies European Union climate and energy policy at the Center for European Policy Studies in Brussels.“The priorities of people in countries in Central and Southeast Europe are different,” said Christian Egenhofer, who studies European Union climate and energy policy at the Center for European Policy Studies in Brussels.
“Climate change is not that high on their priorities,” he added, “and when you go to these countries, they often say climate change and environment protection, especially out of the urban areas, is something for the rich people in the west.” “Climate change is not that high on their priorities,” he added, “and when you go to these countries, they often say climate change and environment protection, especially out of the urban areas, is something for the rich people in the West.”