There is a real sense of frustration among voters who perceive incumbents as being out of touch with their priorities

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Three recent elections in Europe — one for the European Union Parliament, followed by general elections in Britain and France — reflected frustration and dissatisfaction with incumbents.

Initially, panicky media reports about the EU result signalled surging support for “far-right” parties, notably in France and Germany, but careful analysis suggests a less catastrophic result.

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The number of seats held by the dominant centre-right, centre-left and liberal parties only fell by three per cent from the last election. However, French President Emmanuel Macron’s Renaissance party garnered just 15 per cent of the French vote, while his archrival Marine Le Pen’s National Rally won over 32 per cent of the electorate.

In Germany, Olaf Scholz’s Social Democrats were soundly rejected, as were his liberal and Green coalition partners. The right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) made significant gains, as did the centre-right Christian Democrats. The Greens lost 21 of their 73 seats.

Soaring energy prices due to Russia’s war in Ukraine and wider cost-of-living concerns are prompting many Europeans to reconsider abandoning fossil fuels. Ironically, instead of ending its reliance on fossil fuels, the EU now plans to build 19 new liquefied natural gas ports, which is not a message that green activists want to hear.

The EU Parliament results are less consequential than domestic elections, but the populist tone and temper may be a harbinger........

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