A political trend that will positively affect Israel in the elections to the European Parliament: in Germany, France, Italy, Poland and even in Spain, the right-wing was declared the great winner of the elections. European citizens increasingly feel the impact of immigrants on their lives and on the European character of their country mainly following the takeover of the pro-Palestinian demonstrations on the streets of European cities. The Alternative for Germany party and other far-right parties scored their record achievement in the elections . The ruling coalition in Europe will be anti-Islamist, with members of parliament who are very sympathetic to Israel and may vote in its favor .
Another piece of good news – in the national parliamentary elections in Belgium, the left-wing party of Prime Minister Alexandre de Croix (a declared hater of Israel), was defeated by the right-wing party. Following this, de Croy announced his resignation in tears.
About 190 million Europeans, which is about 51% of the total number of voters in the European Union, voted for the European Parliament. The result is clear – all of Europe is turning to the right.
In Germany, France, Italy, Poland and even in Spain (where the anti-Israel left dominated), the right was declared the great winner of the elections. All the local commentators explain this as the migration crisis affecting the continent. And if we sharpen the message – then the demonstrations in recent months that took over the streets of the cities with spoons, flags of Palestine, Hamas and messages of Islam taking over Europe, worried many citizens who decided to vote differently this time than their traditional vote.
The strengthening of the right-wing parties in the European Parliament is good and positive news for the State of Israel. The various elements of the right sympathize with Israel and support it, even if sometimes it is due to a common anti-Islamist interest. Various experts estimate that the current composition of the European Union Parliament is expected to be more sympathetic to Israel, and to make less critical decisions – it is not expected to unilaterally recognize a Palestinian state, as four European countries, three of which are in the Union, did recently.
At the same time as the European Parliament elections, national parliamentary elections were held yesterday in Belgium. The left-wing party of Prime Minister Alexander de Crewe was defeated by the right-wing party. Following this, de Croy announced his resignation in tears. De Crewe is notoriously remembered in Israel after at the end of last November he spoke together with the Prime Minister of Spain Pedro Sanchez at the Rafah crossing, and together the two claimed that Israel was carrying out “indiscriminate killing in Gaza”.
What does the European Parliament mean?
Elections are held once every five years, and the parliament cannot be dissolved. Over the years, the European Parliament has become an increasingly important institution, and it is gaining more and more powers. In fact, he enjoys high legitimacy – because his members are elected in democratic elections.
In each country, local parties compete in designated representative lists, these are elected and represent the country in the continent’s parliament.
Each country is represented according to its relative size on the continent:
Thus, for example, Germany, the largest of the EU countries, receives the largest number of representatives (96), France and Italy receive 81 and 76 respectively, while the small countries – Cyprus, Estonia, Luxembourg and Malta – receive the smallest representation, of six representatives One, and a total of 720 members of parliament are elected.
The biggest and most important political game begins after the elections – with the creation of the unions and the struggles of the coalition and the opposition. Each party from a certain country that is elected to the European Parliament has to join a party group. The threshold conditions for a party group are at least 23 members who will come from at least seven different countries. This move is necessary for receiving party funding, positions in committees and other powers and rights, as part of the work of the European Parliament.
Following the election results, what will be the representation of the important countries?
Naturally, every party has an interest in establishing a party group as large and strong as possible, or joining it – and this is what may determine and change the ways of acting in the parliament. Since 1999, the largest party group is the EPP (European People’s Party), a party traditionally associated with the moderate right in Europe.
In Germany, where 96 seats are reserved in the parliament, the Alternative for Germany party (AFD) will finish in second or third place in the country with about 15% of the votes, which is a record achievement for it.
In France, where 81 seats are reserved in the parliament, the National Union party from the political right headed by Jordan Bardella garnered about 31.5% of the total votes. Bardela is a protégé of Marine Le Pen and the achievement even became more prominent in light of the fact that the Renaissance party of French President Emmanuel Macron obtained only 14.5% of the votes. As a result, Macron announced the dissolution of the French Parliament and new elections on June 30.
In Austria, where 20 seats are reserved in the parliament, the right-wing “Freedom” party won 25%, an increase of about 8% from the previous elections.
In Italy, where 76 seats are reserved in the parliament, Prime Minister Giorgia Maloney’s right-wing Fratelli d’Italia party finished first, winning 27.7% of the vote, which is expected to bring 23 seats to the ECR faction in the European Parliament.
In Hungary, the right-wing party led by Viktor Orban won 44% of the total votes, with 18 of the 21 seats reserved for the state being occupied by right-wing people.
In Spain, whose leaders made it the most anti-Israeli country in Europe, with 61 seats reserved in the parliament, an impressive turnaround was recorded when, unlike the previous elections for the European Union, when the socialists won, this time the center-right party EPP managed to obtain 22 seats compared to the center-left socialist party which obtained only 20 seats .
In third place came the far-right party VOX, which obtained six seats. In total, the right obtained 50% of the votes while the left obtained only 43%, which is a painful loss (and makes Israel lovers happy) for the socialist and anti-Israeli Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez.
In Poland, where 53 seats are reserved in the parliament, the vote was clearly to the right. The KO party belonging to the EPP faction which is a center-right party won 38% of the votes. The PIS party belonging to the right-wing ECR party won 34% of the votes.
In Belgium, which has a total of 22 seats in the parliament, general elections and elections for the three districts of the country were also held today. The results showed a significant increase in the power of the right-wing parties in the country, both in the national elections and in the European Parliament elections. As a result, Belgian Prime Minister Alexandre de Croix, who visited Israel many times, decided to resign from his post.
In the Netherlands, where 31 seats are reserved in the parliament, the results were relatively balanced politically. The one who did register an achievement, and this following the national elections held in the country, is Geert Wilders, leader of the right-wing party PVV, and a great admirer of Israel, who won six seats for the ID faction
In the Czech Republic there was a moderate increase in the power of the right, while in Romania the Socialist Party won the most votes.
