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Populist, environmentalist and far-right parties edged out traditional centre-right and centre-left parties across the continent in the European Parliament elections.
Whilst Nigel Farage’s Brexit Party won 28 seats with 32 per cent of the vote in the UK, other nationalist parties led by France’s Marine Le Pen and Italy’s Matteo Salvini also gained precedence on Sunday.
Green parties and liberal parties had a strong election night across the whole of Europe, seeing a further shift away from traditional centrist parties.
In Italy, Mr Salvini’s League, an anti-immigrant party, claimed nearly 34% of the vote in early projections – a jump from around 6% five years ago.
Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Matteo Salvini (AFP/Getty Images)
Mr Salvini said: “Not only is the League the first party in Italy, but Marine Le Pen is first in France, Nigel Farage is first in Great Britain.
European elections 2019
1/12
Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage as the results came in last night
REUTERS
2/12
Brexit Party candidate Anne Widdecombe rejoices as her party secures seats in the South West region
PA
3/12
‘Now the general election’:Brexit Party Nigel Farage is pictured after gains in the Euro vote
REUTERS
4/12
Mr Farage said his party had surged ‘like a jack-in-the-box’
REUTERS
5/12
Farage reacts as the European Parliament election results for the UK South East Region are announced at the Civic Centre Southampton
AFP/Getty Images
6/12
Brexit Party’s Jonathan Bullock, Annunziata Rees-Mogg and Matthew Patten celebrate after being elected
PA
7/12
The Brexit Party’s three winning candidates in the West Midlands region – Rupert Lowe, Martin Daubney and Andrew Kerr
PA
8/12
Brexit Party’s Tracy Knowles, Anna Bailey, Jonathan Bullock, Annunziata Rees-Mogg and Matthew Patten celebrate
PA
9/12
Leader of Spanish People’s Party (PP), conservative Pablo Casado (C), celebrates the election results
AFP/Getty Images
10/12
Danish Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen and his wife Sulrun attend during the European Parliament elections 2019 election party
AP
11/12
Swedish Green Party (Miljoepartiet) candidate Alice Bah Kuhnke (C) and Per Bolund (R), Minister for Financial Markets and Housing, applaud at the party’s election night
REUTERS
12/12
Italian Deputy Prime Minister and leader of far-right League party Matteo Salvini kisses a crucifix as he speaks during his European Parliament election night
REUTERS
1/12
Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage as the results came in last night
REUTERS
2/12
Brexit Party candidate Anne Widdecombe rejoices as her party secures seats in the South West region
PA
3/12
‘Now the general election’:Brexit Party Nigel Farage is pictured after gains in the Euro vote
REUTERS
4/12
Mr Farage said his party had surged ‘like a jack-in-the-box’
REUTERS
5/12
Farage reacts as the European Parliament election results for the UK South East Region are announced at the Civic Centre Southampton
AFP/Getty Images
6/12
Brexit Party’s Jonathan Bullock, Annunziata Rees-Mogg and Matthew Patten celebrate after being elected
PA
7/12
The Brexit Party’s three winning candidates in the West Midlands region – Rupert Lowe, Martin Daubney and Andrew Kerr
PA
8/12
Brexit Party’s Tracy Knowles, Anna Bailey, Jonathan Bullock, Annunziata Rees-Mogg and Matthew Patten celebrate
PA
9/12
Leader of Spanish People’s Party (PP), conservative Pablo Casado (C), celebrates the election results
AFP/Getty Images
10/12
Danish Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen and his wife Sulrun attend during the European Parliament elections 2019 election party
AP
11/12
Swedish Green Party (Miljoepartiet) candidate Alice Bah Kuhnke (C) and Per Bolund (R), Minister for Financial Markets and Housing, applaud at the party’s election night
REUTERS
12/12
Italian Deputy Prime Minister and leader of far-right League party Matteo Salvini kisses a crucifix as he speaks during his European Parliament election night
REUTERS
“Therefore, Italy, France and England: the sign of a Europe that is changing, that is fed up.”
Disgraced former premier Silvio Berlusconi made a political comeback to become an MEP at 82, after leaving office years ago following a tax fraud conviction and his bunga bunga scandal.
In France, Ms Le Pen’s anti-immigration party came out top with 24%, whilst President Emmanuel Macron’s party drew just over 21%, after make EU integration the heart of his presidency.
Greek prime minister Alexis Tsipras called a snap national election following his party’s loss.
Speaking from the Syriza party offices, Mr Tsipras said that “the results does not rise to our expectations… I will not ignore it or quit”.
In Germany, which elects the largest number of MEPs, Chancellor Angela Merkel’s ruling coalition saw a drastic loss in support to the Green party.
Germany’s Green party came in second with over 20% of the vote share, whilst Merkel’s party won just 28% – their worst ever performance in the European elections.
Provisional results on Monday showed Green parties in Germany, France, the UK and elsewhere come fourth in the elections.
These pro-environment green parties won a total of 70 seats, an increase of 18 since 2014’s election, propelled by recent climate change demonstrations.
Around half of the 400 million people were eligible to vote in the elections cast their ballot, a bloc-wide estimate showed on Sunday.
The turnout was the highest in two decades across all 28 European Union countries.
The voting has affected internal politics in many countries after Pro-EU parties were expected to win around two-thirds of the 751-seats, according to projections released by the European parliament.
Current MEPs’ terms end on 1 July, with the new parliament being seated the next day.
