Three EU elections over the weekend appear to have put something of a halt, at least temporarily, to the seemingly irresistible forward march of the Trump-aligned EU-sceptic ultranationalist hard right.
In Romania’s presidential poll the defeat of George Simion, who had boasted even as the votes were counted of his inevitable victory, will have particularly delighted European capitals who had feared that another member state was about to join Hungary in obstructing aid to Ukraine and disrupting EU business. A high turnout and a decisive vote of 54 per cent - nearly 10 per cent more than in the first round - propelled Nicusor Dan, the mayor of Bucharest, a moderate pro-EU centrist, to victory.
The decision was not so emphatic in Poland: although hard-right candidates, including an outspoken anti-Semite, took second, third and fourth places in the first round of the presidential race, Rafal Trzaskowski, the liberal mayor of Warsaw and an ally of prime minister Donald Tusk still headed the field on 31.3 percent. But he faces a difficult run-off on on June 1st when the conservative Law and Justice party must have a strong chance of retaining the presidential legislative blocking power it has used to frustrate Tusk in parliament.
Meanwhile, in Portugal’s parliamentary elections, a dramatic surge by the far-right Chega – from no seats, to 58 – will not be enough to prevent the outgoing centre-right coalition from forming a government. With overseas votes still being tallied Prime Minister Luís Montenegro’s Democratic Alliance was polling 32 per cent of the vote (89 seats), with the Socialists and Chega roughly level on 22-23 per cent.
Chega, which capitalised on strong anti-immigrant feeling, remains an unacceptable partner for the major parties and so the result is likely to mean Montenegro will form a new, potentially unstable, minority government.
Not a great day for pro-European politics, but the line has been held.
