European elections: Extreme right on the rise in Germany and Austria according to early projections

by our correspondent in BRUSSELS - Early projections ahead of the final results of the European elections held this week show a strong increase in the more nationalist and Eurosceptic movements in Germany and Austria, two countries with a well-known historical past.

In the first two countries, Alternative für Deutschland is now in second place, having overtaken the Social Democratic party. In Austria, the Austrian Freedom Party (FPÖ) has come out on top.
In detail, according to an initial projection by the ARD television network, in Germany the leading party is the CDU with 29.5% of the vote, followed by the AfD with 16.5% of the vote. The latter has overtaken the SPD, which stands at 14%. It was followed by the Greens (12%), the FDP Liberals (5%) and the new radical left movement BSW led by Sahra Wagenknecht (5.5%). In a comment published on the Internet Die Tageszeitung, however, pointed out that 80% of the voters 'have not lost their minds'.

In Austria, however, relative success went to the nationalist FPÖ party, which obtained 27% of the votes, according to a projection published by Foresight/ARGE Wahlen. It was followed by the Christian Democrats of the ÖVP (23.5%), the Social Democrats of the SPÖ (23%), and the Greens (10.5%). In its first Internet commentary, the daily Die Presse emphasises the 'massive loss of votes' of the ÖVP party, which is now in power in Vienna with Prime Minister Karl Nehammer.

In both cases, the figures more or less reflect the polls on the eve of the elections, although in both countries it is mainly the negative, if not very bad, result of the parties expressing the chancellor that is striking. In Austria the ÖVP, in Germany the SPD (with Olaf Scholz ). The two incumbent governments emerge strongly weakened from the vote. The first reliable EU-wide projections of the European parliamentary elections are expected around 11pm this evening, Sunday 9 June.

From a European perspective, it should be borne in mind that the AfD was recently excluded from the parliamentary group Identity & Democracy, due to a series of scandals that have tarnished its image, at least in Brussels and Strasbourg. As for the FPÖ, this Austrian movement born in 1956 and led for many years by Jörg Haider currently sits in the ID group. According to initial projections, the two parties could obtain 19 and six seats respectively in the European Parliament.