Polls indicate a surge for the right across the continent in next month’s ballots but the centrists are still likely to hold sway in parliament

Far-right gains in next month’s European elections will be hard, if not impossible, to parlay into more power in parliament, experts say, but they could boost nationalist parties in EU capitals – with potentially greater consequences.

Polling suggests far-right and hardline conservative parties could finish first in nine EU states, including Austria, France and the Netherlands, in the polls between 6 and 9 June, and second or third in another nine, including Germany, Spain, Portugal and Sweden.

The predicted rise of the far- right Identity and Democracy (ID) group and the conservative-nationalist European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) has sparked speculation about a “sharp right turn” in the European parliament, potentially jeopardising key EU projects such as the green deal.

ID, which includes Marine Le Pen’s National Rally (RN) in France, Matteo Salvini’s League in Italy, Germany’s Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), Austria’s Freedom party (FPÖ) and Vlaams Belang in Belgium, are on track to be the big winners – from 59 MEPs to perhaps 85.

  • Iceblade@lemmy.world
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    6 months ago

    If crimes are being committed disproportionately by expats, we should look at the economic situation of those committing crimes vs other demographics, as there is a large crossover.

    So that leads us to the question, is it expats commuting more crime or is it poor people committing more crime as expats are generally also in the poorest section of a society.

    Sweden has amongst the most generous welfare systems in Europe and the world. If higher crime rates amongst migrants was caused by economic poverty, Sweden should have lower crime rates in these groups than other countries. However, this does not seem to be the case.