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1/W/a big turnout and the far right parties still on the fringes, was a good night for the European project. Pro EU centrist LIberals gained the most seats; Greens gained too; traditional L/R parties lost ground. More in this thread:
2/Clearly new forces have emerged in Europe to challenge the establishment, as they have here. But Trumpism/far right forces while clearly still material, have lost some momentum. Trump was beaten badly in 2018, polling terribly now; Austria fiasco huge blow; Tories/Farage ugly.
3/Was not a good night in UK for Brexit. Right is in total chaos now, very likely to elevate a Trumpian buffoon. If Corbyn wakes up & allies w/Remain could seize imp space. No sign of anti-integrationist left gaining ground anywhere. Sanders dropping here in US. Liberals rising.
4/Last part worth repeating - Europe did see not see a far left emerge to counter the far right. Liberals and Greens surged, old left faltered. New arrangements, sensibilities, not easily labeled on ideological spectrum. Instructive for analyzing 2020 in US. Some similarities.
5/Feel like Liberal and Green surge happening in US as well, and that space for "populist" left evaporating given threat to modernity far right represents. You can see it in Dem voters- Biden leads, Sanders fading, overwhelming support for free trade
6/Interplay between Social Dems/Socialists, Greens, Liberals going to be fascinating to watch in Europe, and here in the US too. Won't exactly be the same but similar dynamics now with Green and Liberal sensibility very strong in Dem Party now.
7/Finally, center right and right actually lost abt 20 seats in Europe, dropping fr 371 to 351. This new Parliament, w/gains of Liberals and Greens, is going to be even less friendly to Orban loving/climate denying/protectionist Trumpism than old one. Not a good result for POTUS.
8/Share of seats in the European Parliament held by the center-right and far right declined from 49.5 to 46.7, 371 to 351. Overall, the European right lost ground last night. Any attempt to dress this up will be just incredible BS.
