EU PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS 2024 PRODUCE A GOOD OVERALL RESULT FOR EUROPE - CHALLENGE IN FRANCE

Carlos Uriarte Sánchez, Vice President of the European Society Coudenhove-Kalergi, Secretary General of Paneuropa España and Professor of Law at the University of Rey Juan Carlos Madrid for the European Society Coudenhove-Kalergi Five years after the last elections to the European Parliament and despite the fears and false predictions of some analysts, perhaps fuelled by disinformation campaigns and interested in a weak European Union, a solid alliance of the traditional pro-European political families, namely the ‘European People's Party’ (EPP) with the progressive alliance of the ‘Socialists and Democrats’ (S&D) and the ‘New Europe’ party (RE) has re-formed. In Spain, the People's Party won the elections with 22 MPs, followed by the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party with 20 out of a total of 61 MPs. The remaining 19 MPs were divided between 7 parties. Almost 65% of Spaniards voted in favour of the two main pro-European parties in our country, the People's Party (PP) and the Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE), which shows that there is a strong European sentiment in Spain. These last elections have been very important not only because they have led to a renewal of the leadership in the different European institutions, especially in the European Parliament, but also because of the impact they will have on the election of the President of the European Commission, the composition of the College of Commissioners and the appointment of the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy - also Vice-President of the European Commission. All of these appointments are to be confirmed by the European Parliament and will have a decisive impact on the legislative and political direction of the EU for the five-year period 2024-2029. Despite the initial pessimism about the polarisation between pro- and anti-European forces, the results for the EU Parliament were better than expected. Out of a total of 720 seats, the Group of the European People's Party (Christian Democrats) won 188 parliamentary seats with 26.11% of the vote. The Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats won 136 seats with 18.89% of the vote. The Europe Group held its own with 10.69% of the vote and 77 MEPs. If we also include other pro-European forces such as the Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance with 7.36% of the vote and 53 seats, we can see a clear victory of the forces in favour of the European construction process. Analysing this data shows that these pro-European groupings together won 454 parliamentary seats with 63.05% of the vote. This results in a large majority of pro-European forces compared to other groups that are considered Eurosceptic or want a different Europe. The Eurosceptics include: The Euro-patriots with 84 seats and 11.67%, the Group of European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) with 78 MEPs and 10.83%, the Confederal Group of the European United Left (GUE/NGL) with 46 MEPs and 6.39%, the Europe of Sovereign Nations Group with 25 seats and 3.47% and the Non-attached Group with 33 MEPs and 4.58%. The European People's Party remains the largest party in the European Parliament. The new President of the European Parliament will continue to be Roberta Metsola, who belongs to this political family. Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas of the New Europe Party resigned as Prime Minister in July as she was appointed head of European diplomacy. The socialist and former Portuguese Prime Minister António Costas was proposed at a Council meeting to replace the Belgian Charles Michell as the new Council President. All these appointments and proposals are the result of a legislative pact concluded by the pro-European political groups after the recent European elections this year. Perhaps Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Melloni, whose country represents the third largest economy in the EU, should have been more noticeably involved in this whole process of reflection and agreement on the renewal of the leadership of the EU's most important political institutions. After all, Europe must be united in its diversity. It is therefore always better to integrate than to divide or isolate, especially at this time of uncertainty in the European integration project. There are ongoing debates about deepening or enlarging the EU, about the institutional reforms that have been repeatedly postponed in order to make the EU more functional and efficient. Concrete reform proposals include, in particular, the abolition of unanimity in Council votes in order to make progress in policy areas such as foreign, security and defence policy. The involvement of Italy, as one of the founding countries of the EU, is certainly of greater importance in these delicate projects. For example, Italy is heavily involved in dealing with the migration problem, which is a major issue in Europe. Italy's pro-European orientation could give rise to new visions for consensus-based solutions and serve as an incentive for critical groups to find solutions. Ultimately, the future of the European construction process will depend to a large extent on the ability of the new leaders to build consensus and respond effectively to citizens' concerns. The climate crisis, economic recovery, migration management and external relations will continue to be important issues on the EU's political agenda. In the face of these complex and constantly evolving challenges, these elections provided an excellent opportunity to renew democratic engagement and strengthen European unity by making it more resilient to future challenges. Furthermore, we should not forget the enlargement to the Western Balkans and other states that currently have candidate status. These include Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia. It will also be crucial to involve the eurosceptic forces in the decisions on these challenges so that they can gradually take on EU responsibilities and make them their own. For Europe to be not only what its institutions and member states want it to be, but above all what its citizens want it to be. To achieve this, we need to build a genuine European democracy that enables all European citizens - to paraphrase Stefan Zweig - to make Europe the home we have chosen. Europe must be able to give us a sense of belonging that enriches us as citizens and our Europe. European patriotism will always necessarily be inclusive, as opposed to nationalism, which is exclusionary and can lead to aggression and even war. This European future will also depend on the commitment of each European state and on maintaining the unity and solidarity of all. In a democracy, differences are legitimate, because Europe is diverse, but all these differences must be based on loyalty to a common project in which all Europeans must realise that what unites us is much more important than what divides us, that unity and solidarity are much better than irrelevance and nullity in an increasingly complex and changing multipolar world that is constantly challenging democratic values, freedom and peace in our Europe. In my opinion, the main problem for the European Union in this election analysis is currently France. It was precisely in France that Marie Le Pen's far-right party received the most votes in the European Parliament elections. It was the first warning, which fortunately was not confirmed in the French parliamentary elections. The Front National did not receive a parliamentary majority to form a government. The French government has therefore remained in office. Under the leadership of President Macron, consultations are underway with the aim of achieving a national unity of forces that could defend France's republican-democratic values and European orientation. After all, France is the second largest economy in the EU. Emmanuel Macron must achieve the broadest possible consensus between centrist and pro-European positions far from the extremes. The aim is to ensure the stability of France with a serious policy far removed from the populist recipes of the extreme left and the extreme right. French stability is important for France and for Europe as a whole. We Spaniards must return to the values of dialogue and consensus that have inspired our constitution in order to overcome the political and institutional crisis in which we find ourselves. Let us hope that France does not repeat Spain's mistakes.