EU elections

European elections: Tories could come sixth, officials fear

Conservative officials fear the party could come sixth in the European elections, with their support plummeting to single digits.

Candidates running in the election said the party was “almost in denial” that the poll was happening and continued to insist they would not need to take up their seats in the European parliament, despite fading prospects for a cross-party deal with Labour that would enable Brexit to happen before 2 July.

...Another Conservative source said internal data showed the party could do worse than the Brexit party, Labour, the Lib Dems, Change UK and even potentially the Greens, with support at less than 10%. That would translate to only a handful of seats, down from the current 22.

A second CCHQ source said the outlook was “absolutely dire” and worse even than the public pollsters were predicting because the party was planning to put in no effort whatsoever, apart from a free mailshot.

EU elections

The Far Right Wants to Gut the EU, Not Kill It

Ahead of this month’s European Parliament elections, the far-right populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has been advocating leaving the euro zone and even, potentially, the European Union entirely.

A few years ago, the party membership’s decision to include a so-called Dexitin its 2019 platform—dependent, they say, on whether or not the EU accedes to its demands for significant reforms, including dissolving the European Parliament—would hardly have been notable. After all, the AfD was founded in 2013 as an anti-euro movement, and its counterparts across Europe rose to new electoral heights in part by portraying themselves as the bloc’s chief foes.

But among today’s far-right populist parties, that part of the AfD’s platform is more an exception than the rule. Leaders such as Marine Le Pen, of France’s National Rally, and Matteo Salvini, of Italy’s League, keen to consolidate right-wing support domestically and be taken more seriously internationally, have changed their tune when it comes to the EU. Instead of talking about referendums on EU membership or ditching Europe’s common currency, they advocate for a “Europe of nations” and more pragmatic change “from within.” Even the AfD’s top leaders seem to recognize that campaigning on Dexit isn’t as electorally helpful as it once was: The party now also talks about a “Europe of nations,” and co-leader Alexander Gauland has stressed that the AfD sees leaving the EU as a last resort and would prefer to “correct” it than “abolish” it.

EU elections

European Election WARNING: How Germany may strike HUGE BLOW to EU - Brexit 'wasn't enough'

Germany’s biggest opposition party, the Alternative for Deutschland, has turned its ire onto the European elite, calling for the EU election to be a referendum on how Brussels is run. The party’s parliamentary chief Alexander Gauland told supporters that Europeans could teach Brussels humility during the elections at the end of May. This comes amid a growing alliance between far-right eurosceptic parties, led largely by Italy’s Matteo Salvini, ahead of the crucial ballot that could determine the future of the EU.

Mr Gauland told AfD activists to send a wake-up call to European establishment figures in the vote.

He said: “I really hope that the result of these elections will teach them self-doubt.

“It could have happened with Brexit but apparently that wasn’t enough for them.”

The German MP was speaking alongside other European politicians who aim to turn the European Alliance of Peoples and Nations into the most powerful bloc in the Parliament.

EU elections

European Elections: "The Battle for Europe has Begun"

The leaders of several European nationalist parties campaigned in Prague on April 25, ahead of the European Parliament elections set for May 23-26.

The rally was sponsored by the Movement for a Europe of Nations and Freedom (MENF), a pan-European alliance of nine nationalist parties dedicated to stopping mass migration and recovering national sovereignty from the European Union.

The Prague event was organized by the president of the Czech Freedom and Direct Democracy Party (SPD), Tomio Okamura, who was joined by Dutch Freedom Party (PVV) leader Geert Wilders, French National Rally (RN) leader Marine Le Pen, the President of Movement for a Europe of Nations and Freedom (MENF), Gerolf Annemans, and British MEP Janice Atkinson, who is also Vice Chair of the Europe of Nations and Freedom (ENF) political group in the European Parliament. Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini, leader of the anti-mass migration League party, sent a video message. They spoke to a crowd in Prague's downtown Wenceslas Square. 

EU elections

The Guardian view on European elections: one continent, one ballot

Elections to the European parliament can be awkward for admirers of the EU. A ballot in every member state is the most directly democratic feature of the union’s institutional architecture and such a poll should, in theory, bind millions of people in a sense of collective political enterprise.

In practice, it rarely feels that way. Awareness of the parliament’s functions is thin. Turnout is low. Parties tend to reserve their best candidates for domestic races. An election of apparently minor consequence invites protest voting, which yield MEPs who have no interest in doing the job properly.

Britain has exemplified that problem. The European parliament gave Ukip a platform and finance when Nigel Farage was unable to capture a Westminster seat. Now Mr Farage sees next month’s ballot as the chance for more wrecking, this time at the head of a new Brexit party. It is still possible for the vote to be aborted, if Theresa May’s EU withdrawal agreement is approved in the next couple of weeks. That seems unlikely. 

EU elections

EU Elections Will Define the Future of ‘Christian European Culture’ – Hungary PM

In March, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s ruling Fidesz Party was suspended from the powerful right-wing conservative alliance in the EU – the European People's Party - despite the upcoming EU parliamentary elections scheduled for 23-26 May.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has described the upcoming EU Parliament elections as an event where “Europe will choose its future”.

“Will Europe remain European or will we give way to the masses coming from other cultures? We will decide whether we protect our Christian European culture or give way to multiculturalism”, he underscored.

According to him, the decision may take the form of a relatively straight choice across all EU members falling “between EU leaders from the pro-immigration parties or from those that oppose immigration”.

EU elections

‘We should NOT back down!’ Panic for Brussels as Orban launches new anti-EU campaign

Mr Orban’s nationalist Fidesz party is gearing up for the European Parliament elections in May and he has warned that Hungary could once again target the bloc in media campaigns. Mr Orban said: "People are a bit angry with us in Brussels because, at the start of the European Parliament election campaign, we ran an information campaign in Hungary, essentially exposing what Brussels was up to.

"We have exposed them and, naturally, they are angry.

"Our job now is to continuously inform the people about what Brussels is up to.

"We should not back down, we should not be scared because the opponent takes offence and attacks us with the anger of people who are exposed."

Asked whether Mr Orban's remarks meant Budapest would resume its anti-EU media campaigns, a government spokesman said: "The Prime Minister's words speak for themselves."

EU elections

Bannon predicts 'stunning victory' for European populists

Former White House strategist Steve Bannon is predicting a "stunning victory" for populists and nationalists in the European Parliament elections in two months but says they can do it without his help.

Bannon has been trying to form a movement uniting populist and nationalist voters across Europe ahead of the May 23-26 vote, but the reception from some European leaders has been lukewarm.

Speaking Thursday at an event in Rome, Bannon acknowledged that "the politicians here don't need me. They are fully capable of winning elections on their own."

He said the "populist, nationalist and sovereignty movement" is gaining traction, thanks to politicians like Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz.