What if the far right gets its act together? Europeans are picking a parliament this week, the first since the EU's significance went to the next level with Covid, the war in Ukraine as well as showdowns over Chinese dumping and US tech. Europe matters more than before, yet for the first time in a quarter-century, the status quo is at risk. Why?
One woman is at the heart of it all: Giorgia Meloni. Italy's prime minister has proven to be a team player to mainstream partners at the EU level, while harking back to her far-right roots on the current campaign trail. Could she tack centre right as she claims to be, or strike a deal with the likes of Marine Le Pen, whose National Rally could smash its record high here in France?
Even if nationalist and far-right voting blocs remain splintered in the next parliament, what impact on policy if the centre left fades? Will nascent efforts for a common European defence die a quick death? Will the EU's Green Deal and the move away from fossil fuels run out of gas? What about migration policy? More broadly, as another election campaign unfolds in the US, how strong is nativist sentiment here in Europe?
Produced by Alessandro Xenos, Rebecca Gnignati and Juliette Brown.
