European Parliament Elections 2019 See Far-Right Parties Gaining Ground 

European Union elections held for four days across 28 member countries may see far-right parties gaining a foothold in the European Parliament. The elections saw the highest turnout in a European election in 20 years.

Europe seems to have taken a right-turn with voters abandoning the centrist and centre-left parties. Most countries in the union have seen increased criticism of an open-border policy combined with unrestricted immigration from Muslim countries, as well as social security schemes.

The centre-left Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) bloc and the centre-right European People’s Party (EPP) lost more than 70 seats and its majority in EU parliament, reports CNN.

In the UK the Brexit party of Nigel Farage secured 31.71 per cent of the votes, more than the combined votes of Labour party and Liberal Democrats.

In Spain, the Socialist Party won 32.84 per cent of the vote more than Centre-right parties the People’s party 20.1 per cent and Ciudadanos 12.2 per cent.

France’s Marine Le Pen from National Rally won 23.32 per cent pipping Emmanuel Macron’s La Republique which got 22.41 per cent.

In Italy the right-wing Lega party won with 33.64 per cent of the votes, Germany’s Green party won 70 seats taking 9.32 per cent of the votes.

The trend continued in Greece, Hungary and other countries where far-right parties have gained more votes than they have in the previous elections.