Non-establishment parties made sizable gains in the European parliamentary elections, while established parties saw their numbers dwindle. Populist, Nationalist, Green, Liberal, and Unaffiliated candidates all significantly increased their representation at the expense of more traditional Socialist, Conservative, and Center-Right parties. The overall voter turnout increased in 20 EU countries, leading to the highest turnout since 1994.
The results are already leading to political upheaval in various EU countries. Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has called for snap elections following his party’s losses, and Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini has stated that he will seek to renegotiate EU debt rules following his party’s strong showing in the elections.
