Orkhan Sattarov, the head of the European bureau of Vestnik Kavkaza
The elections to the European parliament predictably marked the success of European sceptics. In general they got about 1/3 of the seats in the new parliament, i.e. 6% more than last year. Neither the left-wing nor the right-wing sceptics are satisfied with the current model of the EU and the extended power of Brussels, which often just does what Berlin says. At the same time, the ideological differences between the European left-wing and right-wing forces prevents the appearance of a powerful united faction of European sceptics.
The right-wing European sceptics achieved success not only in the periphery countries of the EU with developing democracies, but also in two key countries of the EU – France and the UK. Right-wing radicals from the Front National of Marine Le Pen got support from a quarter of French voters, while over a quarter of UK voters supported the ultra-right forces of Ukip. The French socialists and their unpopular president Francois Hollande, as well as the Conservatives, couldn’t compete with the populists from the Front National. Euroscepticism appeared to be firm ideological ground for Ukip’s successful campaign and their leader Nigel Farage in the UK, which is separated from continental Europe both geographically and politically.
Stable Germany, which is the political and economic core of Europe, maintained the traditions of European centrism. However, even here anti-globalists from the recently-formed party of Alternative für Deutschland could gain 7%. This is a tendency which should be considered by many German politicians.
In general the trends mean that the united European political project has begun to lose its attractiveness among the European population. This is connected with several reasons which are based on dissatisfaction of Europeans with the economic situation that has formed. The European south is paralyzed by a long-lasting crisis; in the early 2000s, the extension of the EU was politically motivated and sometimes unreasonable. These factors led to a surge of migration into economically-successful countries of the EU and the growth of anti-migrant moods there. At the same time, the crisis of the eurozone led to a strengthening of dictatorship of Brussels and Berlin, which insisted on implementation of unpopular anti-crisis measures for the recovery of the economies of South European countries. The course is reasonable economically, but it is very unpopular politically.
The elections to the European parliament in 2014 were not a breakthrough, considering their consequences, but they pose certain questions on further prospects for the EU's political and economic development. The Europeans are not enthusiastic about a united federal state, as the former foreign minister of Germany Oskar Fischer suggested. However, maintenance of the united European economic space is also doubtful. The results of the elections are a signal for Brussels, which should think about the possible consequences of anti-Russian sanctions for the popularity of the European idea. Rejection of Russian gas and increasing gas prices will be another unpopular step which makes European voters support European sceptics.
