European elections – my summary

Austria

Government coalition gets only 7 seats out of 18.

(centre right ÖVP loses 1 but keeps 6; far right FPÖ loses 3 of its 4, down to 1).

Leading opposition party, centre left SPÖ, holds 7.

Greens hold 2

Surprise: Hans-Peter Martin, dissident MEP who rowed with his colleagues over expenses, wins 2 seats as leader of an independent faction.

 

Belgium

Government coalition (liberals plus socialists) wins 13 seats out of 24. (previously 13 out of 25)

Christian Democrat opposition does best in Flanders, Socialist govt partner best in Wallonia – each gains an MEP, as does far right Vlaams Blok.

Greens lose 3 of 5 seats; small radical Flemish Volksunie which won 2 in 1999 has disappeared.

 

Cyprus (new member state)

Govt coalition wins 3 out of 6 seats.

President’s party (anti-peace plan, liberals) won 1 seat

PM’s party (communist, neutral leaning anti on peace plan) won 2 seats

Main opposition (centre right, pro-peace plan) won 2 seats

Splinter from opposition (centre right, anti-peace plan) won 1 seat

 

Czech Republic (new member state)

Govt (socialist/centre right coalition) wins only 6 of 24 seats!

Ex-PM Vaclav Klaus (centre right) party won 8.

5 Communists, 5 independents.

 

Denmark

Government wins only 4 seats out of 14 – 3 for liberals (down from 5), 1 for centre right.

Opposition socialists gain 2 to win 5. Four smaller parties keep one seat each.

Surprise: Anti-EU party the June Movement loses 2 of its 3 seats.

 

Estonia (new member state)

Main government party Res Publica has won no seats! Junior (liberal) coalition partner won 1 out of 6.

Opposition socialists unexpectedly won 3. Two smaller opposition parties won 1.

 

Finland

Government parties (Centre, Social Dems, Swedish liberals) won 8 of 14 seats.

Largest govt and opposition parties consolidated their positions; smaller anti-EU parties lost out.

France

Dismal performance of centre-right government which won only 17 of 78 seats.

Socialists won 33; Greens 4; Communists 3; other centre-right factions 12; far-right National Front 9.

Two anti-system parties (the Hunting and Fishing party and the Workers Struggle) lost all their seats.

 

Germany

Dismal performance of main centre-left government party which won only 23 of 99 seats. But Green coalition partners almost doubled their share from 7 to 13.

Centre-right opposition also slipped back (from 53 to 49) because liberals crossed threshold and won 7. So did ex-Communists.

 

Greece

Recently elected centre-right government won 11 of 24 seats.

Opposition Socialists won 9; Communists 2; other left 1; far right 1.

 

Hungary (new member state)

Govt coalition won 11 of 24 seats (9 for socialists, 2 for liberals)

Centre-right opposition won 12, far right 1.

 

Italy

Centre-right government parties won only 30 of 78 seats (Berlusconi 17; Alleanza Nazionale 10; Lega Nord 3).

Centre-left Ulivo coalition won 27.

Lots of little parties including our own Emma Bonino, down from 6 seats to 2.

 

Ireland

Main government party wins only 4 of 13 seats. (Smaller coalition partner wins none.)

Main opposition Fine Gael (centre right) and Labour consolidate with 4 and 2.

Greens lose both their seats, Sinn Fein gains one.

One sitting independent loses her seat, 2 new independents win.

 

Latvia (new member state)

Government parties win only 1 seat out of 9!!!

Centre and right win 7; Russian-speakers’ party wins 1.

 

Lithuania (new member state)

Main centre left government party wins only 2 seats out of 13.

Newly established Labour Party (populist) wins 5.

Election coincided with first round of presidential election, which gave ex-pres Adamkus a lead.

 

Luxembourg

Government parties win 5 out of 6 seats (again).

But Christian Democrats manage a seismic shift by taking a seat off their socialist coalition partners. They now have 3; socialists, liberals and greens 1 each.

 

Malta (new member state)

Governing Nationalist Party wins 2 of 5 seats with 41%

Opposition Labour Party takes 3 of five seats with 48%. Liberals get 10% but not enough for a seat (best third-party result in Malta for 35 years)

 

Netherlands

Govt wins 12 of 27 seats (previously 17 of 31).

Gains by opposition Labour Party, far-left Socialist party.

Surprise: “whistle-blower” Paul van Buitenen wins 2 seats.

 

Poland (new member state)

Dismal turnout of only 21%.

Govt to win 6 seats out of 54.

Centre-left opposition tops the poll with 17. Right-wing opposition parties have 28 between them. Geremek wins 3.

 

Portugal

Centre right govt wins 9 seats of 24.

Main opposition socialists win 12; Greens 2; communists 1.

 

Slovakia (new member state)

17% turnout – the lowest anywhere.

Four-party centre right govt coalition wins 8 seats of 14. Remaining 6 divide evenly between populist ex-PM Meciar and centre-left opposition.

 

Slovenia (new member state)

Centrist govt wins 4 seats of 7; centre-right opposition wins 3.

 

Spain

Recently elected centre-left govt wins 25 of 54 seats.

Centre-right opposition wins 23; regionalists 3; Communists 2; small centre-right party 1.

 

Sweden

Centre-left govt parties and supporters win 8 seats of 19 (down slightly)

Centre-right opposition parties also win 8 (down a bit more)

Anti-EU “June movement” comes from nowhere to win 3 seats.

 

United Kingdom

Dismal result for ruling Labour party with only 19 of 78 seats. Opposition Conservatives won only 27.

Surprise: Anti-EU UK Independence Party likely to come third in votes, but level with Liberal Democrats on 12 seats.

Also 2 Greens, 3 nationalists (2 Scots 1 Welsh), 3 from Northern Ireland (probably including 1 Sinn Fein)