We do not yet know the results of the EU parliament elections but blame and recriminations mount. Results this evening.
The Tories will get hammered in the EU elections. That much is well understood. But recriminations against Labour are far more bitter according to the Guardian Live Blog.
ITV’s political editor Robert Peston, Labour MEP, John Howarth, said: “Had Labour’s ‘high command’ set out to lose an election they could not have gone about it in a more convincing way”.
Result Announcement Shortly
What to Watch
The New York Times comments What to Watch For in the European Parliament Election Results.
With more than 400 million Europeans across the 28 countries of the European Union entitled to vote in the European Parliament elections that end on Sunday, the poll is, next to India, the largest democratic exercise in the world. But since these elections began 40 years ago, when the bloc was only 15 countries, turnout to vote for the Parliament — the bloc’s only directly elected branch — has decreased every five years.
With more than 400 million Europeans across the 28 countries of the European Union entitled to vote in the European Parliament elections that end on Sunday, the poll is, next to India, the largest democratic exercise in the world.
But since these elections began 40 years ago, when the bloc was only 15 countries, turnout to vote for the Parliament — the bloc’s only directly elected branch — has decreased every five years.
Populists
There are varying strains of populists in Europe, and they do not all agree with one another. But they are united for the most part in opposing immigration, strengthening Europe’s borders, hammering “the elites” and increasing the power of national governments against “Brussels,” a generic word for the European Union’s technocratic bureaucracy.
There are varying strains of populists in Europe, and they do not all agree with one another.
But they are united for the most part in opposing immigration, strengthening Europe’s borders, hammering “the elites” and increasing the power of national governments against “Brussels,” a generic word for the European Union’s technocratic bureaucracy.
Key Items
What to Expect
Anything.
European polls are notoriously inaccurate. Anything from 28% to 42% for the Brexit party would hardly be surprising. I will take a shot at 38%.
The battle between Macron and Le Pen is amusing but it's somewhat of a side show. Both are expected to get about 23%.
Does it really matter if it 23% vs 22% as opposed to 22% to 23% the other way? I fail to see how, but that is how the French newspapers portray it.
I will go out on a limb and suggest 24% for Le Pen and 22% for Macron. But I would not be surprised at all with a range of 20% to 26% for Le Pen.
