London.- The overwhelming victory of labor Party, Centre-left in the British election It stands in stark contrast to the recent advances of the far right across Europe. But the party’s victory was not a rejection of populism by voters, but rather It is an echo of the same disappointment with their political leaders.
Keir Starmer came to power Friday after winning a large parliamentary majority Rishi Sunak’s Conservative Party suffers worst defeat in history.
The victory comes days after the victory of the far-right party. National Meeting (RN) Marine Le Pen has made a historic breakthrough to win the first round of France’s parliamentary elections.
Followed by Similar advances for populist parties in European Parliament elections From last month where The Social Democratic Party, led by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, recorded the worst result in its history.
next to, 19 out of 27 EU countries are governed by parties on the right of the political spectrum, From some regions close to the center (such as France) to government coalitions made up of extremist parties (such as Italy and the Netherlands), according to a survey by Nation.
Before his election victory, Starmer said progressive politicians must show they have learned the lessons of the rise of nationalism and populism. “We have to show… in the UK, across Europe and around the world that Only progressives have the answers to the challenges we face.“, He said.
But rather than being a bulwark against the wave of European populism, Starmer’s success was built on the same voters’ desire for a new democracy. Change and punish the incompetence of current governments that drive support for the far right.
Britain, once known for its political stability, It has been going from crisis to crisis since the vote to leave the European Union in 2016, Through the COVID-19 pandemic, increasingly limited public services and the cost of living crisis.
The Conservative Party, which had been in power for 14 years, remained in office. A growing popular agenda has focused on immigration, including a plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda.As it faces a challenge from the UK’s most right-wing, anti-EU, anti-establishment party, UK Reform.
“I think there are cycles in politics and I think, in a way, The UK has been emerging from the cycle of populist rule to some extent since the Brexit vote.“There seems to be a trend that after a number of these populist governments come to power, there are question marks over their ability to govern, and the cycle changes and other parties have a chance,” said Peter Ricketts, a former senior British Foreign Office official and former ambassador to France.
The Conservative government has become increasingly associated with the scandals of the former prime minister. Boris Johnson And the disastrous 44-day reign of his successor, Liz Truss, And his economic plans that brought chaos to the financial markets. Sunak tried to reverse that image, but he failed.
Mujtaba Rahman, Managing Director for Europe at Eurasia Consulting Group, said: There was a fatigue with the conservatives and a desire for stability and cohesion.
“The lesson from the UK experience is that it takes a long time for the pendulum to swing back in the other direction, and that is It serves as a warning to other European countries that seem to be on the verge of embarking on their own populist adventures, especially France.“, he claimed.
Rahman also pointed out that the UK’s “first past the post” system “is just that”. An electoral system that is too harsh for small parties.“The reason why populist parties love it is UK Reform, Controversial Nigel Farage They can usually win only a small number of seats.
Across Europe, far-right parties are on the rise.
Le Pen’s national meeting is closer than ever to forming a government in France, while Emmanuel Macron’s centrist coalition has seen its support collapse just two years after he won a second term as president.
The outcome for France and its EU partners will depend on the second round scheduled for Sunday.
far right Alternative for Germany (AFD) It came second in the European Parliament elections in Germany and the party’s membership is at a record high.
ultra conservative group Brothers of Italy To the Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni His position was strengthened by winning the largest number of votes in those elections, while the Dutch anti-Islam populist Geert Wilders This week saw for the first time ministers from his party take up positions in the government.
The British Conservatives have implemented a series of populist measures, promising to tackle immigration and reshape the economy, but their credibility has been shattered by years of economic stagnation and a failure to stop tens of thousands of asylum seekers arriving in small boats.
“The Conservatives were populists, but they didn’t do well and people are fleeing.”“No,” said Professor Geoffrey Evans of Oxford University. I would say it’s a reaction against populism. “I would just say it is a reaction to the incompetence of the party and the generally poor economic conditions the country finds itself in.”
The good performance of the Reform Party in the UK elections, where it won four seats and four million votes, seems to confirm this.
But not all European countries are moving to the right.
Ursula von der Leyen will remain President of the European Commission. After the vote in the European Parliament, centrist parties performed well in Central and Eastern Europe, compared to last year. Donald Tusk He won power in Poland on promises to reverse democratic decline.
There is a sense that Britain is about to “turn the page,” Rahman said. “A centrist administration with a very large majority and a more coherent approach to economic policy in Europe will invite foreign investors back to the country.”He pointed out.
New Labour Foreign Secretary David Lamy“The truth is that when we see the nationalist tide in Europe and in other parts of the world, He (Starmer) knows that if he doesn’t deliver for workers, the populists and those with a different interpretation of how to deliver will come back and bite us on the heels.“
By Michael Holden and Andrew MacAskill
Reuters
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