Scholz’s party faces defeat at EU elections in Germany while far-Right is set for win in Austria – as millions of Europeans vote on Super Sunday
Europeans agree EU elections today are expected to move further to the right, as GermanyThe country’s leading party is suffering losses, while Austrian exit polls show the far right taking the lead in the country’s vote count.
The elections, held across the continent over the past three days, are the first since then Brexitthe pandemic and that of Russia invasion of Ukraine.
In addition, many voters have been affected by the cost of livingare concerned about migration and the costs of the green transition and are disturbed by geopolitical tensions, including the war in Ukraine, and hard and far-right parties have seized on this and offered the electorate an alternative.
In Germany, Chancellor Olaf Scholz‘s Social Democratic Party (SDU) was expected to come in third place, with just 14% of the vote, a historic low for the party according to German broadcasters who commissioned exit polls.
In the meantime, far-right parties in Germany are expected to take the lead.
A conservative alliance of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the Christian Social Union (CSU) obtained 29.5% of the votes.
Alternative for German (AfD) party leaders Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla react to the results after the polls closed
Marta Temido, Socialist Party leader for the EU Parliament, talks to journalists after casting her vote for the European elections in Escola
A voter searches for his polling station during the European Parliament elections in Moralzarzal, Spain
Brigitte Macron and President Emmanuel Macron cast their votes for the European Parliament elections at a polling station in Le Touquet, northern France
The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) came second, with 16.5% of the vote – a huge increase of 5.5% compared to the 2019 EU elections.
A similar result was observed in the Austrian exit polls, with the far-right FPOe party leading the vote count.
If confirmed, it would be the first time the group has topped national elections in the Alpine country.
The Freedom Party (FPOe) won 27 percent of the vote, ahead of the ruling conservative People’s Party (OeVP), according to polls released by the country’s main media outlets.
The EU Parliament, which will consist of 72 members after the elections, consists of multi-party factions.
Although centre-left and centre-right factions have largely dominated the bloc’s parliament since the last election in 2019, these parties are widely expected to lose seats as more Europeans turn to more extreme parties in the hope of solving their problems with the European Union.
Vice-President of the European Parliament and top candidate for the European elections Katarina Barley (C), co-chair of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) Lars Klingbeil (L) and co-chair of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) Saskia Esken (R) arrive to make a statement during the European elections
A woman in national costume receives her ballot papers at a polling station during the European Parliament and local elections in Vizslas, Northern Hungary
German flags are depicted on a table during the election night of the far-right Alternative Fur Deutschland (AfD)
President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen speaks during an event in the European Parliament
A projection from the Europe Elects survey on Sunday showed that the centre-right European People’s Party (EPP) could win just five seats, compared to the last parliament which won a total of 183 seats. The Socialists, including the party of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, are seen as losing. four seats to reach 136.
In contrast, the poll said the national-conservative European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) were likely to gain five additional seats for a total of 73 and that the far-right Identity and Democracy (ID) group could gain eight additional seats for a total of 73 seats. 67.
From the so far unaffiliated deputies, of which there would be 79, more deputies could join the right-wing and far-right groups, the poll said.
Meanwhile, Europe’s Greens, who are facing a backlash from pressured households, farmers and industry over costly EU policies to cut carbon emissions, appear to be among the big losers as Sunday’s poll puts them at just 56 delegates, a loss of 15.
The prospects for the liberal group Renew Europe are also bleak, given expectations that Marine Le Pen’s far-right Rassemblement National will defeat French President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist Renaissance in France.
Sunday’s poll put the Renew group’s loss at 13 seats and predicted it would eventually reach 89 seats.
The European Parliament will release an EU-wide exit poll at around 7.30pm BST and then a first provisional result after 10pm, when the final votes are cast in Italy.
