The European People’s Party, which includes President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, won the elections to the European Parliament by a large margin.
It will receive 189 out of 720 seats, thus improving its position compared to the current composition of the EP, according to President of the departing European Parliament Roberta Metsola, who presented the EU-wide preliminary election results at a press conference in Brussels.
Socialists are in second place with 135 mandates, liberals are in third place with 80 mandates, moderate right-wingers are in fourth place with 72 mandates, and the extreme right from the Identity and Democracy faction is in fifth place with 58 mandates, the Greens will receive 52 mandates, another 98 deputies are not part of the existing factions.
Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron has dissolved the National Assembly, or lower house of parliament, and announced early elections.
“France needs a clear parliamentary majority to act calmly in accord,” he said in a televised address to the nations. “I appoint early parliamentary elections. The first round will be held on June 30 and the second one – on July 7.”
This statement can be seen as the acknowledgement of a crushing defeat of the presidential Renaissance Party at the elections to the European Parliament, where it won less votes (15.4%) than the opposition National Rally Party (32%).
Last time, the lowe house was dissolved by President Jacques Chirac in 1997.
