Daily Times

The elections across Britain and Continental Europe for the European Parliament are finally over. With 751 MEPs elected, the results are intriguing, to say the least. In Britain and France, the Brexit Party and the National Front have done exceedingly well, securing 29 and 22 seats, respectively. Both are parties on the extreme right fringe of the political spectrum.

The surge in far-right populism is being blamed on liberal immigration and economic policies the European Union has had in place for decades. Migration across EU has remained a matter of grave concern for certain clases of people in all countries. The right wing populists have managed to exploit it for their vested interests.

The abysmal performance of the Tory and Labour parties across Britain can be attributed in part to an unclear policy on Brexit. The perceived lack of clarity has taken a heavy toll on their credibility and hence the political clout.

Nigel Farage may be having the time of his life but pro-Remain and liberal parties such as the Liberal Democrats, the Greens and the Scottish National Party, too, have secured nearly 40 per cent of the votes, which is five points ahead of those secured by Brexiteers.

If pro-Remain votes amongst Labour and Conservative voters are counted the percentage would increase further.

The LibDems have shown their best ever performance by breaking up the traditional vote bank held by the two mainstream parties. Can they become a force to be reckoned with come next general elections? It’s too early to say, but one thing is certain: in the long run Brexit is largely unsustainable.

Overall, there has been an actual surge in the pro-Remain camp. A fresh Brexit referendum, subject to parliamentary approval, could overturn the previous result. Labour is considering backing a fresh referendum since it has no other options left. Following their worst-ever performance in a European Parliament election, the Tories are fighting among themselves. The prospects of a Brexiteer taking over 10 Downing Street are high. Boris Johnson is being favoured among the leadership contenders ever since Prime Minister Theresa May announced her resignation. However, he may not be able to steer a Brexit policy of his own in this parliament. There is mounting pressure meanwhile from a wide range of political leaders to hold not only a second referendum but also fresh general elections.

Britain is at a crossroads of history. Whatever happens over the next few months will decide its place in the European Union. *