What does the Norwegian Refugee Council think? The time when EU elections went unnoticed is now over

Anyone who still doubted how closely European and national politics were closely intertwined was immediately convinced on Sunday evening. In France, the results of the voter poll were only announced when President Macron responded live on television and announced that he would dissolve parliament. The electoral victory of the radical right-wing National Rally was absolutely stunning. The French must go to the polls again on June 30 to elect a new assembly. Macron's move could be described as risky, but above all it showed that the times when European elections could go unnoticed are already over.

In Germany, the Social Democratic Party led by Chancellor Schulz achieved a historically bad result, which is not befitting of a strong, large social democratic party. Its coalition partners have also suffered heavy losses, while the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party is clearly gaining electoral influence. The immediate question was whether Schulz's coalition still had the right to exist. The political system in Germany is also being shaken as a result of the European Union elections.

The European Parliament veered further to the right on Sunday. The strong Christian Democratic faction has held out well against the kidnappers on the coast, the Social Democratic family has been less successful, and Macron's liberal group is smaller. The parties on the far right will get seats. Based on opinion polls and preliminary results, it appears that far-right parties will soon occupy a quarter of European seats.

This is unprecedented and worrying: in recent years, it has often been right-wing populist parties in the EU that have not taken the rule of law seriously. In Hungary, Poland and Slovakia, there has been far-reaching harmful interference in the affairs of judges, the media, government institutions and the privacy of citizens. This should not become a blueprint for other EU countries where right-wing populists have great influence, including the Netherlands. The first signs in Italy, where Meloni has been in charge for a year and a half, are not reassuring.

The influence of populist winds is already clear: European climate plans have been watered down in Brussels in recent months. As in the Netherlands, immigration is also used in other countries to avoid having to talk about other problems (failed government, nitrogen, faltering social welfare). On the other hand, it can be said that European politics has finally matured. For many years, the Christian Democrats and Social Democrats were alone in the European Parliament. Now centrist parties must do more to convince voters that their ideas are better and more sustainable than those of the populists.

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Moreover, these European elections show something else: populists can also come under pressure. In Hungary, current Prime Minister Viktor Orban has been dealt a blow: he appears to have a rival from within his own circle. In Slovakia, the ruling party, Samir, lost the elections, despite Prime Minister Fico's attempts to exploit the failed assassination attempt on him during the election campaign. In Poland, current Prime Minister Tusk, who repatriated his country's populists in December after years of mismanaging the rule of law, has consolidated his position. His party even became the largest on Sunday. Yes, the far right has had good elections, but it has no freedom of action.

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