French President Emmanuel Macron confounded supporters and opponents alike by calling a snap election for the national assembly after his centrist party suffered a severe setback at the hands of the far-right in European parliamentary elections. It is a risky gamble on galvanising support for mainstream parties ahead of a presidential election in 2027.
The outcome will weigh on the future of Europe and its relations with China and Russia. Centrist and right-wing parties are divided on how to deal with China, between focus on trade and rights and ideology, respectively.
Far-right parties including the National Rally of two-time presidential election runner-up Marine Le Pen took almost 40 per cent of the vote in France, which puts Le Pen on track to contest the presidency again. Le Pen’s party won 31.5 per cent of the vote, more than double the share of Macron’s centrist alliance.
Resounding gains for far-right candidates prompted reflection elsewhere in Europe. However, the centre-left will prevail in the EU parliament in Brussels, with the centrist European People’s Party expected to secure about 184 seats, up eight from 2019, giving it control of a quarter of the parliament.
That means, Ursula von der Leyen is likely to continue as president of the European Commission. She is a China hawk, but a well-known quantity in Beijing, having accompanied Macron to summits with Chinese leaders last year in Beijing and this year in Paris.
That she has remained welcome in Beijing could be positive for efforts to improve relations amid continuing tensions over trade and Russia’s war on Ukraine.
As a result the far-right’s gains, European relations with China will become more fragmented and nuanced at the bilateral level. Moreover Hungary, a friend of China and a top trade and investment partner in Eastern and Central Europe, is due to take over the rotating EU presidency next month.
The strengthened European right could affect the balance between security and the economy, in which bilateral deals could be pivotal to stability.
Source link : https://amp.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3266773/fragmented-europe-test-china-relations
Author :
Publish date : 2024-06-15 20:30:08
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
