Why European Parliament Elections Suddenly Matter
The continent-wide vote May 23-26 is shaping up to be something of a referendum on the whole 60-year European Union experiment.
Elections for the European Parliament used to be dull affairs. This time is different. The continent-wide vote May 23-26 is shaping up to be something of a referendum on the whole 60-year European Union experiment, in part because the ballot comes amid Britain’s drawn-out departure from the bloc. An expected clash of values and policies will extend far beyond the assembly itself, with ripple effects on other European institutions and on national politics. With the U.K. required to take part because the country is still a member of the EU, British voters could also use the occasion to deliver a verdict on Brexit.
In many countries, the role of the EU now dominates domestic politics too. And for the first time, there’s a real possibility that anti-EU parties could win enough seats to disrupt legislative business rather than just rail against it, as Nigel Farage of the U.K., Marine Le Pen of France and Matteo Salvini of Italy have done. Emmanuel Macron, who defeated Le Pen in the 2017 French presidential election, says the contest is a choice for or against Europe.