Far-right dominates European Parliament elections

Far-right parties made significant gains in the European Parliament elections on Sunday, compelling French President Emmanuel Macron to dissolve his government and call for snap elections later this month. This election result has led to political upheaval in France and raised questions about the future direction of the European Union's policies.

Despite the far-right's gains, the center, liberal, and socialist parties are projected to maintain a majority in the 720-seat parliament. However, the strong performance of far-right parties has delivered a blow to the leaders of France and Germany. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's Social Democrats experienced their worst result ever, losing ground to mainstream conservatives and the hard-right Alternative for Germany (AfD).

In Italy, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's position was bolstered by her arch-conservative Brothers of Italy group winning the most votes, according to exit polls.

The shift towards the right in the European Parliament could complicate the passage of new legislation addressing security challenges, climate change, and industrial competition from China and the United States. The influence of euro-skeptic nationalist parties will largely depend on their ability to unite and work together, as they are currently divided among different political families.

This development has highlighted the growing influence of far-right parties across Europe and the potential impact on the European Union's legislative process and policy-making.