Political Shakeup In Europe

Today, we’ve got an interesting discussion for you from the Morning Wire interview between Daily Wire editor-in-chief John Bickley and Nile Gardiner from The Heritage Foundation. They dive into the recent gains by conservative and populist parties in the European Parliamentary elections and what this shift to the Right means for Europe.

First, Nile Gardiner called the election results a “political earthquake” in Europe. It looks like there’s been a significant rejection of the socialist elites that have been in power for a while. Big names like Emmanuel Macron of France and Olaf Scholz of Germany faced some serious blows, while conservative parties celebrated major victories.

So, what’s driving this change?

One of the big winners in this election was Georgia Meloni in Italy. Her Brothers of Italy party saw a massive surge in support, showing her growing influence in Europe. In France, Marine Le Pen’s party took a whopping 30% of the vote, doubling the support for Macron’s party. This suggests that if the French presidential race were held today, Le Pen might come out on top.

Now, why did Macron call for a snap election? Well, his party only secured about 15% of the vote in the European Parliamentary elections, which was a huge setback. By calling a snap Parliamentary election, Macron is taking a big risk. If his party doesn’t perform well, he could end up as a lame duck president until 2027. Over in the UK, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also called an early general election. However, unlike most of Europe, the conservatives in the UK are struggling, largely due to unmet promises after 14 years in power.

The UK also sees some unique challenges. Dissatisfaction with Rishi Sunak’s leadership has led to the rise of the Reform Party, headed by Nigel Farage. This party is pulling conservative voters away from the ruling Conservatives, making it harder for Sunak’s party to maintain its grip on power.

In Germany, the ruling socialists and their allies, the Green Party, did poorly in the elections. On the flip side, the Christian Democrats and the hard-right AFD party gained significant ground. However, it’s important to note that the AFD is somewhat isolated politically, even within the right-wing spectrum.

One of the unifying themes among these conservative parties is their stance on mass migration and cultural identity. Many Europeans feel their countries have taken in too many migrants over the years, leading to a strong push for secure borders and limited migration. Environmental issues and a rejection of net zero policies also played a big role. There’s a growing belief that the EU has become too centralized, and many right-wing parties campaigned against giving more power to the European Commission.

So, why should this matter to an American audience? According to Gardiner, these European election results might make the Biden administration a bit uneasy. The issues that drove European voters to the right—mass migration, open borders, rising crime, and the high cost of living—are also significant concerns for American voters. What happens in Europe could very well influence the political climate in the United States.

The political landscape in Europe is shifting, and these changes could have far-reaching implications.