Green parties enjoy surge in Euro elections

(CNS): Green parties across Europe all made gains at the weekend as the European Parliament election results rolled in. While everyone was expecting far right nationalist parties to do well, given the current rise in populist anti-immigrant sentiment in many countries in Europe, the surge in seats for parties supporting a green liberal agenda has ensured that the climate crisis will be on the supranational parliament’s agenda. While the “green wave” swept across the whole continent, in the UK, the Green Party beat the ruling Conservative Party into fifth place.

While the Tories’ worst-ever national poll results in history were largely attributed to the shambles the government is making of Brexit, the 12% vote share for the Green Party suggests that people are not just angry over the Conservatives’ failure to deliver the EU departure or give the country a second chance on the vote now the facts are known, but that the climate issue now matters to people.

In the UK the Green Party more than doubled their MEPs from three to seven. Across Europe all of the green parties increased their percentage of the vote and set to gain at least 20 seats in the European Parliament, which will bring the total to more than 70. Meanwhile, the Liberals (ALDE), which also has a strong green agenda also gained dozens of seats.

This result comes on the heels of local elections in the UK, where the number of local councillors from the Green Party in town halls up and down the country also increased.

See the EU Election results on the BBC here