Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo announces he will resign after losing to right-wing parties in European elections

The European Union elections have claimed another political scalp after Belgium’s liberal prime minister resigned tonight following a huge election defeat.

The continent is currently experiencing a wave of far-right victories in the United States EU electionstaking place this weekend.

France already, Germany and Austria have seen a rise in popularity for hardline anti-immigration parties.

And now Belgium has followed suit, after nationalist parties captured the votes in the bloc’s elections.

Alexander De Croo, leader of the Flemish Liberals and Democrats, also known as Open VLD, announced tonight that he will resign as leader of his country tomorrow, after the shocking election results.

Open VLD received only six percent of the votes in the European Union elections, of which 90% have been counted.

Alexander De Croo, leader of the Flemish Liberals and Democrats, (photo) announced tonight that he would resign as leader of his country tomorrow.

Despite his resignation, he claimed his Liberal Party would return

Despite polls predicting that the far-right, anti-immigration party Vlaams Belang would become the most important political force in the country with 11.5 million inhabitants, the right-wing nationalist New Flemish Alliance (N-VA) retained its first place, with a expected 22% of the votes, according to preliminary results from the Ministry of the Interior.

The Vlaams Belang came second, with a share of 17.5%, ahead of the Socialist Voruit party, which received around 10.5% of the votes.

Despite this, he claimed that his Liberal Party would return.

DeCroo’s defeat comes just hours after the French president Emmanuel Macron called early elections in the wake of a huge swing to the right in the country’s elections European Union elections.

Macron suffered a major defeat tonight Marine le Pen‘s National Rally party was expected to win 31.5% of the vote after the European Union elections.

His Renaissance Party, meanwhile, suffered one of the worst defeats ever for a party in the French government, with just 15.2% of the vote. France‘s voice.

Macron dissolved the French parliament and called elections in the wake of the major defeat, announcing that the first round will take place on June 30, while the second will take place on July 7.

He said after his announcement: ‘France needs a clear majority in serenity and harmony. To be French is about choosing to make history, and not being driven by it.”

French President Emmanuel Macron (photo) has called early elections after the huge shift to the right during the European Union elections.

Supporters of France’s far-right National Rally react at party election headquarters after French President Emanuel Macron announced he would dissolve the National Assembly

One woman was seen happily drinking as Macron called early elections

Supporters of the far-right National Rally party happily celebrated the dissolution of the French parliament, buoyed by their success in the EU elections.

The EU elections, held across the continent over the past three days, are the first since Brexit, the pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

In addition, many voters are affected by the cost of living, concerned about migration and the costs of the green transition and alarmed by geopolitical tensions, including the war in Ukraine, and hardline and far-right parties have taken advantage of this. and offered the electorate an alternative.

It is not only French citizens who have been provoked by the extreme right tonight.

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.

Many voters are affected by the cost of living, concerned about migration and the costs of the green transition and alarmed by geopolitical tensions

The EU elections, held across the continent over the past three days, are the first since Brexit, the pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

A conservative alliance of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the Christian Social Union (CSU) obtained 29.5% of the votes.

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 720 seats 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.

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 Germany, the Social Democratic Party (SDU) of Chancellor Olaf Scholz (photo) would come in third place, with only 14% of the votes.

The EU Parliament, which will consist of 720 seats after the elections, consists of multi-party factions

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.