Pro EU Parties Hold The Line

[Sysop3]

The center-right European People's Party clung to first position in Sunday's European election but will have a slimmer plurality in the European Parliament after voters delivered big gains to liberals, Greens and far-right populists.

Voter turnout surged across the Continent to reach 50 percent or more for the first time in at least two decades — suggesting renewed relevance for the EU amid Britain's so-far failed effort to quit the bloc, and mounting external challenges from Russia, China and the United States.

Initial projections showed the EPP is likely to hold 178 seats — a sharp decline from the 216 it currently holds. The center-left Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) is expected to come second with 138 seats, down from 187.

A new centrist-liberal coalition led by French President Emmanuel Macron and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte is predicted to come third, with 104 seats, followed by the Greens with 66 seats. A disparate array of far-right and anti-EU forces, including the U.K. Brexit Party, is set to win at least 116 seats — but it is unclear how coordinated they will be, and they are likely to fall into at least two separate groups.

Overall, it is a highly muddled result that is unlikely to lend clarity to the upcoming negotiations to fill the EU's top jobs, including the presidencies of the European Commission, the Council and Parliament as well as the post of high representative of foreign affairs.

more
www.politico.eu/article/eu-election-2019-results-pro-eu-parties-suffer-turnout-surges/

[fretslider]

May 26, 2019 18:48:43 GMT -5 Sysop3 said:

The center-right European People's Party clung to first position in Sunday's European election but will have a slimmer plurality in the European Parliament after voters delivered big gains to liberals, Greens and far-right populists.

Voter turnout surged across the Continent to reach 50 percent or more for the first time in at least two decades — suggesting renewed relevance for the EU amid Britain's so-far failed effort to quit the bloc, and mounting external challenges from Russia, China and the United States.

Initial projections showed the EPP is likely to hold 178 seats — a sharp decline from the 216 it currently holds. The center-left Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) is expected to come second with 138 seats, down from 187.

A new centrist-liberal coalition led by French President Emmanuel Macron and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte is predicted to come third, with 104 seats, followed by the Greens with 66 seats. A disparate array of far-right and anti-EU forces, including the U.K. Brexit Party, is set to win at least 116 seats — but it is unclear how coordinated they will be, and they are likely to fall into at least two separate groups.

Overall, it is a highly muddled result that is unlikely to lend clarity to the upcoming negotiations to fill the EU's top jobs, including the presidencies of the European Commission, the Council and Parliament as well as the post of high representative of foreign affairs.

more
www.politico.eu/article/eu-election-2019-results-pro-eu-parties-suffer-turnout-surges/

Overall, it is a highly muddled result

That could well be the understatement of the year. What many probably don't know is this highly muddled result will be called upon to approve the new commission in October/November...

Each Commissioner is first nominated by their member state in consultation with the Commission President. The President's team is then subject to hearings at the European Parliament, which questions them and then votes on their suitability as a whole. If members of the team are found to be inappropriate, the President must then reshuffle the team or request a new candidate from the member state or risk the whole Commission being voted down

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Commission


The new Europarl will also have to approve the Commission President. It's a far from stable situation as the UK is supposed to leave on October 31st, but if we don't....