Turkey’s AKP chose the losers in the Euro Parliament

The European Parliament elections represent a victory for Euroskeptics. Non-affiliated lawmakers, who are mostly Euroskeptics, won 105 seats in the European Parliament. This means that the Euroskeptics have gained an extra 72 seats compared to the previous elections. But I don’t think we need to ring alarm bells either about the European project or about Turkey’s bid for European Union membership.

First of all, were we to expect different results amid continuing economic hardship for millions of Europeans and a much-criticized “disconnect” between EU institutions and voters? Of course not.

Yet, those who still have faith in the European project are still in a majority at the European Parliament. The European People’s Party (EPP) has 213 seats (having lost 61 seats), while the Socialists and Democrats have 190 seats (having lost 5 seats).

While the non-affiliated members make up a big group with 105 seats, this does not mean they will come under one umbrella. Some Euroskeptics, for instance, don’t have an issue with immigration in the same way as France’s Front National (FN) does. While some are from the far-right, some are from the far-left.

Italy’s anti-immigration Lega Nord, Dutchman Geert Wilders’ far-right Freedom Party (PVV), Austria’s Freedom Party (FPO), Belgium’s Vlaams Belang and, possibly, the Swedish Democrats (SD), are expected to discuss together the formation of a new far-right faction with the FN’s Marine Le Pen. But it remains to be seen whether they will meet the necessary requirements to form a group, the requirements of which mean they have to be made up of 25 MEPs from at least seven member states.

Let me add...