Many European newspapers have focused on the strong showing of far-right parties across the continent in the parliamentary elections.
In France, where Marine Le Pen’s National Rally has beaten Emmanuel Macron’s centrist grouping, Le Monde says: “The extreme right comes first in France, Italy and the UK”. Le Figaro says “Macron sets up duel with Le Pen” after the the president’s group won 22.5% compared with Le Pen’s 23.5% in France.
Suddeutsche Zeitung leads its e-paper with the headline: “Greens are second biggest party for the first time” in Germany, while also looking at losses for the centre-right CDU and the socialist SPD. The parties are facing “troubled times”, it says.
It also looks at the wider European trend, however, and how populists and nationalists have gained ground in Poland, Italy and the UK. It says the main takeaways from the elections are “losses for the centrist parties, success for Eurosceptics and an increased turnout”.
Some front pages from European papers today. Here's Süddeutsche Zeitung leading it's e-paper with news that the Greens are the second biggest party in Germany for the first time .... pic.twitter.com/GAEgkKf78J
— Martin Farrer (@MartinFarrer) May 27, 2019
With another strong electoral showing by rightwing populists in Italy, it is no surprise that Corriere della Sera leads with the domestic story.
But it also has an analysis piece headlined: “Europee, i risultati: i sovranisti crescono, ma restano opposizione”, which translates roughly as: “the Eurosceptics grow but remain in opposition”. The piece warns that the danger for centrist parties is to think that because the “anti-elite” parties have failed to break through completely there is no reason to reform.
De Telegraaf, the biggest selling newspaper in the Netherlands, leads with the centre-left PDVA gaining seats at the expense of the rightwing populists PVV and the socialist SP. De Telegraaf also notes the triumphs for Le Pen and Farage on its website home page.
Not every publication has the populist line, however. In France, the leftist Libération newspaper prefers to concentrate on the big rise in votes for Green parties in Sunday’s election.
It has a poster-style front page with a picture of the leader of the Europe Écologie-Les Verts (EELV) green list, Yannick Jadot, with the headline: “La croissance Verte”, or “The rise of the Greens”.
Libération hails 'The rise of the Greens' across Europe with its poster front page of French Greens leader Yannick Jadot. pic.twitter.com/5EsczdVodV
— Martin Farrer (@MartinFarrer) May 27, 2019
The Spanish papers El Pais and ABC both feature a picture of People’s party leaders celebrating the centre-right taking control of Madrid city hall from a leftwing grouping. The ABC’s headline says: “Spain says no to giving all power to Sanchismo”, in reference to the prime minister, Pedro Sanchez.
Ya está disponible la primera edición de ABC del lunes 27 de mayo en @abckioskoymas https://t.co/wkY7dOgQRB pic.twitter.com/Wdr6j1MKYO
— ABC.es (@abc_es) May 27, 2019
However, ABC does have the wider European context too, saying at the very top of the page: “The PP and Socialists resist the advance of populism.”
