Insurrecto-splaining Euroskeptic fever breaking out in European Parliament elections

William A. Jacobson:

It’s too simple to say that “far right” or “fascist” parties did well in the European Parliament elections. It does seem clear that “Euroskeptic” parties on the right and left did well.

Seems to me that what you are seeing is the long-awaited centrifugal forces of the EU showing the inherent instability of trying to unite countries with such disparate interests.

Anti-immigrant sentiment also seems to be part of the equation in some countries, particularly France.

Here’s how The Wall Street Journal describes the outcome:

Anti-European Union and far-right parties posted strong gains in elections to the European Parliament in some countries on Sunday, tapping into voter anger over economic austerity and delivering a blow to institutions in Brussels, national governments and mainstream political parties.

Anti-EU parties won the biggest share of the vote in France—where more than a quarter of votes were cast for the far-right National Front—Greece and Denmark. They also made a strong showing in the U.K. and Italy.

Overall, centrist, pro-European parties are still expected to hold a broad majority of the 751 seats the new legislature, which decides on EU laws together with national governments.

But euroskeptic and anti-EU lawmakers could complicate passing measures on which mainstream parties are divided, including a planned free-trade deal with the U.S.

In certain countries, the “right” certainly did well, most notably France. Here’s how The Telegraph describes today’s voting results in France:

Marine Le Pen declared victory in European Union elections tonight as voters backed populist, far-Right and Left-wing parties in a backlash against immigration and the euro’s economic policies.

In a stunning defeat for the European political establishment, exit polls forecast that the French Front National, which wants to leave the euro and the EU, would win 25 per cent of the vote, more than ten points ahead of Francois Hollande’s Socialists.

The victory means that Miss Le Pen’s Front National will increase its number of MEPs from three to 24 in an earthquake for French and eurozone politics.

“Our people demand one type of politics: politics by the French, for the French, with the French. They don’t want to be led anymore from outside, to submit to laws,” said Miss Le Pen….

In Britain, the Ukip surged, as described by The Financial Times:

It was not entirely out of the blue – but Britain’s three main parties were reeling on Sunday night as the UK Independence party appeared on track to sweep to a historic victory in the European elections.

Nigel Farage, leader of Ukip, was poised to pull off an achievement that no one would have predicted four years ago when his party won just 3 per cent in the last general election….

Ukip’s message of hostility to the EU and its open borders has struck a chord with swaths of voters across the country – particularly outside London.

The party looked on track to double the 16.6 per cent of the vote it picked up in the last European elections in 2009. In Yorkshire and Humberside it picked up three out of six seats.

With the Liberal Democrats on track to lose most or all of their 12 MEPs the party’s leader Nick Clegg faced a grassroots rebellion by more than 200 activists.

Mr Clegg had led an outspoken pro-EU campaign, only to find the party lagging behind the Greens in fifth place in some opinion polls.

The Conservatives were also feeling the heat as their candidates were beaten by Ukip in region after region as the results rolled in.

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