French far right in 'earthquake' win as Europe votes

News Manager

Milforums News Bot
By Luke Baker and Paul Taylor BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Eurosceptic nationalists scored stunning victories in European Parliament elections in France and Britain on Sunday as critics of the European Union more than doubled their seats in a continent-wide protest vote against austerity and unemployment. French Prime Minister Manuel Valls called the breakthrough by Marine Le Pen's anti-immigration, anti-euro National Front in one of the EU's founding nations a political "earthquake". Anti-establishment parties of the far right and hard left, their scores amplified by low turnout, made gains in many countries although in Germany, the EU's biggest member state with the largest number of seats, and Italy, the pro-European center ground held firm. In a vote that raised more doubts about Britain's long-term future in the EU, Nigel Farage's UK Independence Party, which advocates immediate withdrawal, led the opposition Labour party and Prime Minister David Cameron's Conservatives comfortably with almost half the results declared.




More...
 
Back
Top