The German Greens party candidate for the 2024 European elections, Terry Reintke, had a bad result. EPA-EFE/FILIP SINGER

News Vote 24

European voters overwhelmingly reject ‘green’ parties

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According to exit polls for the European Parliament elections, the “green” parties have received a continent-wide kick in the teeth.

While the European Parliament grew by 15 seats, the polls on June 9 suggested representatives of the green bloc dropped from 71 to 53, making them the biggest loser.

In Europe’s leading nations, Germany and France, the predicted results were abundantly clear.

German Greens appeared to have dropped from 20.5 per cent of the vote to 12 per cent, ending in fourth spot behind the Christian Democrats, the hard-right Alternative für Deutschland (Afd) and the Socialist Party.

In France, The Greens are predicted to have achieved 5.4 per cent, dropping from 13.5 per cent.

Belgian Greens also looked to have slid backwards, in both Flanders and Wallonia.

In Austria, The Greens seemed to have lost a seat as well.

The projected results seem to be a repudiation of green policies across the board and the European Union’s Green Deal in particular.

Across Europe, polls suggested the big winners, meanwhile, were those on the Right.

The centre-right European People’s Party (EPP) is projected to have grown from 176 to 186 seats in the European Parliament.

The EP’s European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group would gain a seat, according to polls, from 69 to 70.

The Identity and Democracy (ID) group would rise from 49 seats to 60, despite pushing the AfD out, which appeared to have gained 16 seats, up from eight.

According to exit polls, the traditional majority in the EP of Christian Democrats, Socialists and Democrats and Liberals would still have a majority.

Non-aligned and other groups looked set to have a combined 100 seats.

A right-wing majority, with EPP, European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) and Identity and Democracy (ID), did not seem to have gained enough votes to reach a stable majority, according to exit surveys.