Democratic elections are a process of sublime significance and consequence; it is the people’s voice that the powers that be must heed.
The recently concluded European Union Parliament elections echoed the sentiments of the people from far and wide. Approximately 373 million voters from Finland to Cyprus voted over four days.
The results were largely expected—the far-right forces scored major gains. The Centre-right European People’s Party increased its tally to 184 seats, securing a quarter of the 720 seats in the hemicycle. The extent of gains and losses sent tremors through countries like France, Germany, and Hungary. Europeans voted to support conservatives and ultranationalists, signaling their discontent with those in power.
But the picture is hardly black and white. The center-left group Socialists and Democrats (S&D) retained all their seats, keeping the tally at 139. The big losers were the liberal Renew Europe and the Greens party, who failed to recreate the success of the last election. However, with 99 seats claimed by the non-aligned/others, building consensus will continue to influence the parliament’s direction.
The sentiment and mood across the continent are clear – there’s little to cheer for. The Ukraine War has destroyed hard-won peace and tranquillity. Economic recession and persistent inflation have taken a financial toll on most. Rising food and energy prices have eaten into family budgets with no respite in sight. The inflow of immigrants and the shifting demographics have led to tensions in various countries. The rise of religious extremism and waning tolerance have manifested in hate crimes and vandalism.
Climate activism and environmental concerns have so far only added to citizens’ woes. The election results have dampened the EU’s efforts to become the world leader in tackling climate change. The trouncing of the Greens reflects the cost the renewable energy push has taken on Europeans.
The significant shift in the recent elections signals that the far right is no longer on the fringes of the political spectrum in Europe. However, what remains to be seen is whether the larger numbers will translate to actual power in the parliament. To become a force and steer policy, the center-right and far-right must unite—a task easier said than done—while also attaining the support of the non-aligned members.
The 27 member states of the European Union are diverse in myriad ways. They differ in political ideologies, ethnic backgrounds, cultural traditions, and economic strengths. The Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have different agendas, often caught between national priorities and the EU’s direction. The unified front belies their deeply entrenched differences.
The election of the next European Commission President is likely to indicate how the new parliament will group together. The rise of nationalist interests may, in turn, lead to less EU involvement. Dissenting voices against green-energy transition, liberal immigration, and the ongoing war could lead to policy changes. While no sudden changes are expected in the EU’s support of Kyiv, it remains to be seen how those who oppose the Union’s involvement will steer the course. President Zelensky must be aware that fatigue is setting in beyond Ukrainian borders with the “unconditional support” extended so far.
Despite the unprecedented results, the EU parliament remains largely centrist. Policy decisions and budget approvals will depend on consensus and extensive debates. The question is whether the centrist parties will opt to work with those across the aisle or, in a first, choose the ultraconservative.
TIPP Takes
Geopolitics, Geoeconomics, And More
1. Israeli Forces Thrust Deeper Into Rafah As Diplomacy Falters – Reuters
Israeli tanks advanced deeper into the western area of Rafah amid one of the worst nights of bombardment from air, ground, and sea, forcing many families to flee their homes and tents under darkness, residents said.
Residents said the Israeli forces thrust towards the Al-Mawasi area of Rafah near the beach, which is designated as a humanitarian area in all announcements and maps published by the Israeli army since it began its Rafah offensive in May.
2. Lebanon: Fears Rise Over A Potential War With Israel – D.W.
The fighting between the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah and the Israeli military seems to have ramped up over the past few weeks.
Because of this, concerns are growing that unrest at the border will turn into a full-scale war. Several extremist Israeli politicians have said that Israel should attack Hezbollah now.
Current international diplomatic efforts are dedicated to preventing this, and most experts argue it would be strategically unwise for Israel to open another front as it continues its military operations in Gaza.
3. U.S. Slams Israel’s Decision To Move Palestinian Funds To ‘Victims Of Terrorism’ – AFP
The U.S. condemned the Israeli finance minister’s “wrongheaded” decision to redirect some $35 million in tax revenue collected on behalf of the Palestinian Authority (PA) to families of “victims of terrorism.”
State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said they are not “appropriate” and that the U.S. “has made quite clear to the Government of Israel that these funds belong to the Palestinian people.”
Under peace agreements brokered in part by Norway in the 1990s, Israel collects money for the Palestinian Authority, which exercises limited autonomy in parts of the West Bank.
4. G7 Agrees $50bn Loan For Ukraine From Russian Assets – BBC
Some $325bn worth of assets were frozen by the G7, alongside the EU, following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The pot of assets generates about $3bn a year in interest.
Under the G7 plan, that $3bn will be used to pay off the annual interest on the $50bn loan for the Ukrainians, taken out on the international markets.
Also, at the G7 summit in Italy, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Mr. Biden signed a 10-year bilateral security deal between Ukraine and the U.S., which Kyiv hailed as “historic.”
5. U.S. Journalist Gershkovich Held In Russia Officially Charged With Espionage – RFE/RL
The Russian Prosecutor-General’s Office confirmed a final charge of espionage against U.S. journalist Evan Gershkovich and sent his case to the Sverdlovsk regional court for trial.
The 32-year-old U.S. citizen was arrested in late March 2023 in Yekaterinburg while on a reporting trip. Russian authorities have not provided evidence to support the espionage charges, which The Wall Street Journal and the U.S. government vehemently rejected.
6. Armenia To Quit Russia-Led CSTO Military Alliance – D.W.
Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan confirmed that his country would pull out, accusing members of failing to protect Armenia in Nagorno-Karabakh.
The CSTO is a Russia-dominated alliance of former Soviet states that have pledged to protect one another in the event of an attack. Armenia’s ties with Russia have strained since Moscow refused to intervene in Nagorno-Karabakh.
7. NATO To Confront Russian ‘Sabotage’ Attempts — Stoltenberg – D.W.
NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said defense ministers meeting in Brussels would discuss plans to counter a “Russian campaign of hostile activities against NATO allies,” adding that ministers would work on “response options.”
Stoltenberg told reporters that NATO had witnessed “examples of Russian sabotage, arson, cyber attacks, and disinformation,” with the number of incidents on the rise. Poland, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the Czech Republic have all reported incidents of infiltration in recent weeks, citing Russian interference.
8. Zelensky Says Xi Jinping Told Him He Will Not Sell Any Weapons To Russia – Reuters
Volodymyr Zelenskiy spoke at a joint press conference with U.S. President Joe Biden at the G7 summit in Italy. He did not specify when the conversation with Xi took place.
“I had a firm conversation with (the) leader of China. He said that he would not sell any weapon to Russia. We’ll see if he’s (a) respectable person, but he will not because he gave me (his) word,” Zelenskiy said.
9. China Threatens WTO Action Over EU Electric Car Tariffs – D.W.
“China reserves the right to file a suit to the WTO and take all necessary measures to resolutely defend the rights and interests of Chinese companies,” Beijing’s commerce ministry spokesman He Yadong said.
On Wednesday, the European Commission said it would impose provisional duties of up to 38.1% on imports of Chinese electric vehicles after investigating illegal support from Chinese government subsidies.
10. China Training Global South In ‘Authoritarian’ Ways, Report Says – Nikkei Asia
According to a new report by the Atlantic Council’s Global China Hub, China has been exporting its governance model and Communist Party ideology to developing countries through training programs run under the guise of a business academy.
The report says the Chinese government funded 795 online seminars in 2021 and 2022, pushing the message that authoritarian control is essential for economic development. The findings are based on over 1,000 documents from the Academy for International Business Officials (AIBO), an educational institution run by China’s Ministry of Commerce.
11. China Wants Its 12 Million Delivery Drivers To Work For The Party – RFA
China is calling on its army of 12 million food delivery drivers to show more obedience and loyalty to the ruling Chinese Communist Party and act as the government’s eyes and ears on the ground.
According to official documents published, the party will step up ideological work with the drivers and enlist those who are already party members as part-time “supervisors” of the communities they serve while wooing them with local rest stations aimed at making their lives easier.
12. EU Court Slaps $216m Fine On Hungary For Not Following Asylum Laws – Al Jazeera
Hungary’s anti-immigrant government has taken a hard line on people entering the country since well over one million refugees and asylum seekers entered Europe in 2015, most of them fleeing conflict in Syria.
It erected border fences and forcefully tried to stop many from entering. Current Hungarian law only allows applicants to submit asylum requests outside the country, defying EU rules.
The EU rules oblige all member countries to have common procedures for granting asylum.
13. IAEA Report: Iran Installs More Centrifuges At Fordow Enrichment Plant – Reuters
Iran has rapidly installed extra uranium-enriching centrifuges at its Fordow site and begun setting up others, a UN nuclear watchdog report said in what diplomats described as limited retaliation to a resolution by the watchdog’s board.
Reuters reported that diplomats said Iran was responding to last week’s International Atomic Energy Agency board resolution against it, but the escalation is not as big as many had feared.
14. Turkey Signs Deal With U.S. To Buy F-16 Warplanes – AFP
Under the $23 billion deal, Turkey will get 40 new F-16s and upgrades to 79 jets in its existing fleet.
The United States did not green-light the transaction until Turkey’s instruments of ratification of Sweden’s membership had arrived in Washington.
15. North Korea Submarine Movements May Foreshadow SLBM, SLCM Test Preparations: U.S. Monitor – Yonhap
Beyond Parallel, a project of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, reported recent North Korean ballistic missile submarine movements at a North Korean shipyard, saying they may presage the start of submarine trials this summer or preparations for a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) test.
Citing recent satellite imagery, Beyond Parallel released its m month-long analysis of the movements of the Hero Kim Kun Ok submarine, an experimental submarine, and the submersible missile test stand barge at a North Korean shipyard.
16. Argentina Senate Approves Milei’s Economic Reforms; Protesters Arrested, Hurt In Capital – UPI
President Javier Milei’s office said after the vote that it was “the most ambitious legislative reform in the past 40 years.”
While one bill privatizes state-owned companies such as the country’s state-run airline company, expands presidential authority on economic policy, and supposedly gives incentives for investments, the second aims to lower Argentina’s financial deficit.
But lawmakers said no to Milei’s original goal to restore income tax on wealthier taxpayers.
17. Experts Warn Of Diphtheria-Like Illness That May Spread Between People, Pets – HealthDay News
The first two cases of a diphtheria-like illness being transmitted in the United States between people and their pets have been reported in Utah and Colorado.
The respiratory illnesses occurred in 2022 and 2023 and involved a bacterium closely related to the germ that causes diphtheria.
Passage between pets and humans is much rarer, however. The first such case documented in the United States occurred in 2022 in a person in Utah who lived with a spouse, another housemate, three cats, and one dog.
Republished with permission from TIPP Insights
