Far-right parties expected to surpass EPP in European Parliament, polls suggest
Seats held by far-right parties in the European Parliament are expected to exceed those held by the center-right European People’s Party (EPP), led by outgoing Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, according to polls published Wednesday by Politico.
The EPP is still estimated to come first in the June 9 European elections with 170 seats. However, ideologically far-right MEPs, spread across different party groupings, may secure up to 184 of the 720 seats.
According to the Polls of Polls projection, the two main right-wing groupings, the European Conservatives and Reformists Party (ECR) and Identity and Democracy (ID), are on course for 144 seats. Additionally, Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany is projected to win 16 seats, Hungary’s Fidesz 10 and France’s Reconquest five, signifying the fast rise of right-wing populism across Europe.
Whether these parties will form post-election coalitions is uncertain. Von der Leyen has reached out to Italy’s far-right Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni (Brothers of Italy), who has also been negotiating a coalition with France’s Marine Le Pen (National Rally).
