Each of Greens and the French far-right have scored significant wins in the European elections, according to early projections from beyond the UK.
Exit polls and early projections showed a surge for France, Germany and Ireland’s green parties as they claimed a “green wave” was sweeping the EU.
Overall an early projection showed the Greens/European Free Alliance group would pick up 70 of the 751 seats across the Parliament - up 20 since 2014.
However, French exit polls also showed Marine Le Pen’s far-right party edged into first place just ahead of the centrist alliance of President Emmanuel Macron.
An Elabe exit poll showed Rassemblement National, formerly known as the National Front, securing 23.6% of the vote, a little over one percentage point ahead of Macron's La Republique En Marche list on 22.4%.
It appeared losses that had been predicted for the pro-EU centrist parties at the hands of left- and far-right parties were roughly coming to pass, Reuters reported.
An early forecast by the European Parliament put the EPP on 173 seats, ahead of the S&D on 147, with the liberals on 102, up 33 seats, and Greens on 71, up 19.
On the far-right, two groups in the current parliament had a combined 113 seats, a 50% gain from 2014.
Germany’s Greens came second behind Chancellor Angela Merkel’s party in the election.
Three exit polls showed the French greens placing third behind the far-right and President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist party, winning about 13% of the vote.
If the projections are confirmed, the greens will have trounced the mainstream centre-right and centre-left parties.
“We are witnessing a green European wave tonight that we are part of,” Yannick Jadot, leader of the French greens, told supporters.
“The French sent us a clear message: They want ecology to be at the heart of our lives.”
