Europe Faces Politically Divided Future
While last weekend’s European Parliament elections failed to produce the far-right populist surge some had predicted, the results did suggest that Europe’s electorate is more fractured than ever. The elections were encouraging for EU supporters — 75 percent of voters went for pro-unity parties — but nationalists made big gains in prominent countries like France and Italy. Now some wonder if the traditional left-right spectrum is becoming a populist vs. anti-populist battleground instead.
What’s next? All eyes are now on candidates for European Commission president, with France and Germany chasing alternative visions for its leadership.
SOURCES:  NYT  /  FT (sub)  /  CNN