Centrism

New Democracy has shown remarkable resilience over the last 50 years. It endured great economic and political crises, intense internal divisions and the disintegration of mainstream parties.

France's new right-wing Prime Minister Michel Barnier promised Thursday to address the grievances of the French but also implement "change" as he took office following almost two months of political deadlock.

French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday ruled out naming a left-wing government to end the country's political deadlock, saying it would be a threat to "institutional stability."

While Macron said he would start new talks Tuesday to find a prime minister, left-wing parties reacted with fury to his announcement, calling for street protests and the impeachment of the president.

Will the outcome of the elections in France and the UK trigger a wave of support for progressive forces across Europe as a whole? There are some important differences between the two countries that need to be noted. In the UK, extreme populism and promises of magical solutions were tried and they failed dismally.

A centrist leader wins after a tired government runs out of energy. The British election result might possibly suggest parallels with Greece in 2019. And, while centrism is being defeated in France, it seems it has scored a major victory in the UK. This interpretation does not tell the proper story, however.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Sunday announced he wanted to form a new EU parliament alliance, together with Austria's far-right party and the Czech centrist group of ex-premier Andrej Babis.

"The center held!" Ursula von der Leyen declared with relief on the night of the European Parliament elections. Indeed, the European People's Party, the Socialists and Democrats, Renew Europe, and other centrist groups, maintained their majority in the EP.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has dismissed concerns of a populist surge after Sunday's European Parliament elections, stating that the political center held firm, creating momentum for change.

The prime minister rejected the dilemma between "right turn" and "centrist persistence" and prepares for "a reshuffling of "everyday life"

The government welcomes any investigation into allegations of fraud linked to the way €2.5 billion in European Union funds has been awarded to just 10 companies in Greece, Government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis has said.