Europe Voting: Popularity Soars in Germany, Ultra-Right Surges in Austria

The trends emerging from the first data on the European elections indicate that the European People’s Party and the nationalist right are growing, while the left is holding on. The Greens and Liberals, however, are giving way. Europe Elects aggregator’s projections suggest a growth for the EPP group to 184 seats, a decline for the S&D socialists to 136 seats, and a decrease for the Liberals to 88 seats. Meanwhile, the ECR group is projected to increase to 73 seats. Id is expected to have 67 seats, the Greens 56, Left 36, and non-members 80.

In specific countries, the CDU/CSU (EPP) is projected to have a leading position in Germany with 30 seats, and the FPO (Id) is anticipated to lead in Austria with six seats. In the Netherlands, the Labour-Green coalition is expected to have majority representation with eight seats. New Democracy (EPP) is projected to be the leading party in Greece with eight seats. However, final results are yet to be confirmed in Cyprus where a close race is predicted between the liberal-conservative Democratic Grouping and the Progressive Workers’ Party.

Regarding voter turnout, France saw an increase in participation compared to previous elections. Higher turnouts were also reported in Hungary and Portugal, while Spain experienced a decrease in the number of people voting by midday. Germany had a turnout of 32.3% at 2pm, showing a slight increase compared to the previous elections in 2019. With polling stations open until 6pm, around 60.9 million Germans are called to vote in these European elections.

While the political landscape is shifting in Europe, it is important to acknowledge the critical role that voter participation plays in shaping the future of the European Parliament. The outcomes of these elections will have a significant impact on the direction and policies of the European Union in the coming years.