RevUE de la conférence du CJMM et du Centre Marc Bloch proposé par Alan Efrain Munoz Gomez

« Les élections européennes de 2024 : Répercussions institutionnelles et politiques», le 26 novembre 2024 à Berlin.

The results of the 10th European Elections have shown the complexity of the European Union. Collective security and the economy played a crucial role in the electors’ behavior. The politicization and polarization of the main issues reflect the internal political crisis in EU members.

At the round table, the participants who have center-left perspectives about Europe addressed the war in Ukraine and immigration as the main issues in the region. The war pushed the EU to discuss a new energy self-sufficiency policy and a new defense policy, which were also part of the conversation at the EU elections.

On one hand, the radical right advanced, becoming the 3rd force in the Parliament, meaning it gained influence and decisional power due to a change in the narrative. The far right is less Eurosceptic and more powerful at a national and supranational scale. For instance, in Italy, Giorgia Meloni has gained the support of the EU. The success of the radical right means more support, more budget, and more means to attract electors, and it can still be encouraged by events such as the Romanian and American elections in 2024.

On the other hand, the center remains the main force in the Parliament but is losing influence little by little, as new alliances at the EP can further polarize and change the balance in the Parliament. The cordon sanitaire is in a fragile position; the national forces in the West are gaining ground and overcoming the European ones, and first-order elections are still more important than second-order ones.

The convergence points within the members are migration and border controls in the Schengen Area, now extended to Romania and Bulgaria. This represents the challenges of the EU; such policies, which encourage the right, affect the outcomes of the center and left parties.

This picture shows that the East, with such figures as Kaja Kallas from Estonia in one of the top jobs looking for an active role in the Ukraine war and the militarization of the East, differs from the points of view of countries like France. The East is gaining power; for instance, Viktor Orban, at the rotating presidency of Hungary at the European Council, helps the radical right to consolidate its position as the big winner of the elections.

Alan Efrain Munoz Gomez.