Right-Wing Parties Make Big Gains in EU Elections

French National Rally party leader Marine Le Pen (L) speaks as party President Jordan Bardella listens after the French president announced he is calling for new general elections on June 30, during the final day of the European Parliament election, at the Pavillon Chesnaie du Roy in Paris, on June 9, 2024. Julien de Rosa/AFP via Getty Images

Right-wing parties have gained ground at the European Parliament in election results that rattled the traditional powers.

French President Emmanuel Macron made a surprise call for early legislative elections after his party suffered a heavy defeat from the right-wing National Rally party. In Germany, support for Olaf Scholz’s center-left Social Democrats sank to a projected 14 percent, behind the right-wing Alternative for Germany, which surged into second place.