The right wing’s victory in this election shows that Europeans are wary of increasing Islamic immigration

The European Parliament is one of those EU institutions whose purpose is a mystery. But one thing is clear: The elections two weeks ago — in which right-wing groups won 326 of 720 seats, and left-wing groups took a drubbing —have stirred the political landscape and could influence Europe’s stance toward Israel.

So far, most leaders in Europe haven’t been particularly enthusiastic about supporting Netanyahu’s government. However, the right wing’s victory in this election shows that Europeans are wary of increasing Islamic immigration and recognize that Israel is the West’s only Middle Eastern ally.

• The center-right European People’s Party won 13 seats and will continue to lead the Parliament. Its center-left coalition partners got pummeled: the Socialists and Democrats lost four seats, and the liberal Renew lost 23 seats. The bloc still holds 402 seats, so no major changes are expected.
• The right-wing and far-right parties gained seven and nine seats respectively, and could potentially be boosted by non-aligned forces like Hungary’s Orban or Germany’s AfD.
• Ursula von der Leyen, current European Commission president, will likely keep her job. But now she will need to heed right-wing demands more, and make the Greens (who lost 18 seats) wait. High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell, who bears personal animus for Israel, saw his mandate expire. It remains to be seen if the right-wing wave will bring in leadership more sympathetic to Israel.
• Mishpacha’s European political analyst Jean-Yves Camus sounds a note of caution: “We must not forget that the far right supports Israel primarily because their agenda centers on combating Islam. However, their platform also includes proposals to restrict religious practices, such as shechitah and wearing of kippahs. Also, the far right consistently criticizes Jewish presence in local politics. Their support for Israel is merely a conduit for expressing their opposition to Islamic immigration.”

France

Who Won

The big winner was Marine Le Pen, leader of the right-wing Rassemblement National (RN), getting more than 30% of the vote and 30 seats (up from 22).

Who Lost

President Emmanuel Macron’s party didn’t even get 15% of the vote, losing 8 representatives.

Why It Matters

The electoral disaster forced Macron to call early legislative elections. The RN, which has anti-Semitic roots but has lately been pro-Israel, could potentially control the French parliament.

Germany

Who Won

Center-right and right-wing parties captured nearly 46% of the vote.

Who Lost

Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democratic Party had its worst national election result in over a century, scraping only 14%.

Why It Matters

The far-right AfD finished second with 16%. This is a double-edged sword: AfD’s Islamophobia aligns them with Israel against Hamas, but their anti-Semitic leanings could harm local Jews (for instance, they oppose shechitah).

Italy

Who Won

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni solidified her grip on power, with her Fratelli d’Italia party getting 29% of the vote.

Who Lost

The Five-Star Movement, a left-wing party that held the premiership as recently as 2021, lost six seats on only 10% of the vote.

Why It Matters

This is a good sign for Israel, which has found in Meloni one of the few influential voices that support Netanyahu.

Belgium

Who Won

Flemish nationalists were the big winners, with two right-wing anti-immigration parties securing six seats.

Who Lost

PM Alexander De Croo, one of Israel’s harshest critics in Europe, resigned following his party’s disastrous results, failing to even hit double digits.

Why It Matters

Nationalist Bart De Wever, mayor of Antwerp and leader of the New Flemish Alliance, is the frontrunner to become the new PM. He’s a peculiar mix: the grandson of a Nazi collaborator, but strongly pro-Israel since October 7.

Spain

Who Won

The pro-Israel new-right party VOX increased its seats to six. But Se Acabó La Fiesta (“The Party Is Over”), a party even further to the right, openly anti-immigration and led by a social media influencer, was the big surprise, winning three seats.

Who Lost

The openly anti-Israel Socialist Party of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez lost a seat but managed to avoid a larger defeat, holding 20 seats.

Why It Matters

It’s unlikely that the Spanish government will change its stance, but there was good news for Israel: Yolanda Díaz, the vice premier who frequently accuses Israel of “genocide,” resigned as leader of the SUMAR party after its disastrous performance, securing only three seats.

“The far right consistently criticizes Jewish presence in local politics. Their support for Israel is merely a conduit for expressing their opposition to Islamic immigration”

(Originally featured in Mishpacha, Issue 1016)