Europe at a crossroads: elections reshape continent amid divisions

Calin Georgescu (front), winner of the first round of Romania's presidential elections, gestures after talking to the media in front of a closed polling station in Mogosoaia, near Bucharest, Romania, Dec. 8, 2024. (Photo by Cristian Cristel/Xinhua)

Over 20 regional and national elections this year have failed to settle the political maneuvering on the continent.

BRUSSELS, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- As 2024 draws to a close, Romania has become the latest European nation mired in "post-election turmoil." The country is waiting for a new government to set a date for re-electing its president after the Constitutional Court's unprecedented annulment of the presidential election's first round.

Across Europe, similar instability reigns. Multiple governments face votes of confidence, political turmoil sustains, and leadership remains unresolved.

Over 20 regional and national elections this year have failed to settle the political maneuvering on the continent. Instead, the resulting fragmented parliaments and fragile coalitions have left voters hungry for change - and increasingly dissatisfied - as critical issues persist, if not worsen.

ELECTORAL VERDICT: A RIGHTWARD TURN

Romania's political crisis stems from allegations of Russian interference backing far-right candidate Calin Georgescu in the annulled election. Pro-European parties are now struggling to form a majority as leadership disputes and policy divisions stall progress, fueling public frustration.

This photo taken on June 10, 2024 shows the provisional results of the 2024 European Parliament elections at the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium. (Xinhua/Zhao Dingzhe)

Romania's predicament mirrors broader fractures and rising far-right influence across Europe. After the European Parliament (EP) elections in June, far-right parties surged in popularity. While center-right forces, led by the European People's Party (EPP), have maintained their position as the largest bloc, the EP's landscape became more fragmented. Seats held by mainstream coalitions shrank, and the number of parties sharing power grew, undermining prospects for stable majorities.

November brought another political drama: Ursula von der Leyen narrowly secured a second term as the European Commission president. Her approval, the slimmest since 1993, highlighted the division within the EP. Former European Parliament Vice President Jacek Saryusz-Wolski described the process as "the lowest in EP history," marked by "interparty bargains."

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen celebrates after a vote at the headquarters of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, Nov. 27, 2024. (Xinhua/Zhao Dingzhe)

This institutional gridlock is compounded by a leadership vacuum at the EU's core. France and Germany, long the bedrock of EU policymaking, are now entangled in domestic crises.

In France, President Emmanuel Macron's party suffered a humiliating defeat in July's snap National Assembly elections, leading to months of political deadlock and the shortest-serving premiership since 1958. In Germany, Chancellor Olaf Scholz's fragile coalition collapsed last month amid budgetary and political chaos. A vote of confidence in Germany is expected to trigger early elections in 2025.

By the end of 2024, far-right parties now hold governing roles in at least seven EU countries, including the Netherlands, Finland, and Italy.

According to London-based think tank Chatham House, growing far-right influence has begun to reshape the European Council, with Eurosceptics increasingly advocating for curtailing EU policymaking in favor of national control.

French President Emmanuel Macron (2nd R) greets residents outside a polling station upon his arrival to vote for the European Parliament elections in Le Touquet, France on June 9, 2024. (Photo by Frank Boham/Xinhua)

FORCES DRIVING EUROPEAN SHIFT

The political shifts in Europe reflect years of accumulated voter frustration over economic stagnation, escalating migration pressures, and the enduring strain of regional conflicts.

Economic woes were a central theme in 2024. The Eurozone economy is projected to grow by a meager 0.8 percent, with Germany, its largest economy, contracting for a second consecutive year. Sovereign debt fears resurfaced as France's budget deficit ballooned to 6.2 percent, double the EU's target, reigniting concerns over fiscal discipline.

Meanwhile, high inflation, soaring energy costs and an unrelenting cost-of-living crisis continue to stretch household budgets. In October, tens of thousands of people in Madrid protested over surging housing costs.

Fatigue with the Ukraine crisis also fueled political shifts. Public patience with the EU's 133 billion U.S. dollar aid package is wearing thin, particularly in fiscally strained states like France. In Slovakia, opposition to military support for Ukraine helped propel the far-right to power, while in Poland, refugee inflows amplified nationalist rhetoric and deepened public division.

Vehicles wait for traffic light near EU headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, Oct. 4, 2024.(Xinhua/Zhao Dingzhe)

The EU's ambitious climate agenda has also faced a backlash. In January, German farmers protested Green Deal regulations, sparking similar demonstrations in Belgium, France, and Poland. The Paris-based Institute for Climate Economics estimated that achieving the EU's 2030 climate targets will require annual investments of 813 billion euros -- equivalent to 5.1 percent of the bloc's GDP -- which is untenable for many struggling economies.

Migration remains Europe's most politically-charged issue, with mainstream centrist parties increasingly adopting far-right rhetoric on the subject to retain voter support.

In April, the EU overhauled its asylum policies by tightening border controls and expediting deportations. Domestically, Germany reinstated temporary border checks in September, with France, Austria, and others following suit. These measures, however, come at a cost: the erosion of the Schengen Zone's foundational principle of free movement.

INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR CHALLENGES

The French think tank Fondapol has highlighted Europe's political dilemmas: progressives are caught between the demands of mass immigration and ecological transition, and the need to uphold the welfare state and low-income purchasing power.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban (C), European Council President Charles Michel (R) and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen attend a press conference after an informal European Council meeting in Budapest, Hungary, Nov. 8, 2024. (Photo by Attila Volgyi/Xinhua)

The shifting geopolitical landscape, marked by Donald Trump's return to the White House, adds uncertainties for the continent. As the "Trump 2.0 era" looms, Europe is bracing for potential consequences: the U.S. withdrawal from NATO, reduced support for Ukraine, and trade wars.

Jian Junbo, deputy director of the Center for China-Europe Relations at Fudan University, told Xinhua that if these concerns materialize, Europe may prioritize security even at economic expense.

Amid these concerns, far-right parties have been highlighting EU's structural and leadership shortcomings, consolidating their nationalist and Eurosceptic platforms. These tensions have also forced traditional parties to adapt.

"What was once considered radical has now become the new normal," observed Matthijs Rooduijn, a political scientist at the University of Amsterdam.

The electoral choices of 2024 reflect Europe's mounting crises, leaving the continent at a critical crossroads. Whether Europe can overcome its fragmentation -- rebuilding trust among voters and unity between member states -- will define its future. Yet, one thing is clear: the old approaches are no longer enough.

by Xinhua writers Xia Yuanyi, Zhang Xin and Li Jizhi