BRUSSELS — The European election results announced this week may have seen right-wing euroskeptics strengthen their position in Parliament, but European Union development insiders are quietly relieved as traditionally pro-development parties also won more seats.
“I didn’t wake up saying, ‘Oh my god we’re in the shit,’” said Valentina Barbagallo, a consultant and former policy and advocacy manager at the ONE Campaign in Brussels. “Some of these results were expected.”
Parties in the European Parliament are grouped according to their political affiliations. The final composition of the groups will be confirmed in July, but the grouping that hosts far-right and populist parties is expected to send a combined 73 deputies to the 751-seat assembly, almost double its current representation. At the same time, the liberal ALDE group and the Greens also won big, adding an expected 43 and 17 seats respectively.