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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Patrick Wintour Diplomatic editor

Ukraine is a dividing line in European election that centrists hope to exploit

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Frances President Emmanuel Macron shake hands after a press conference on June 16, 2022 in Kyiv, Ukraine.  Elections for MEPs are being held on 6-9 June.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Frances President Emmanuel Macron shake hands after a press conference on June 16, 2022 in Kyiv, Ukraine. Elections for MEPs are being held on 6-9 June. Photograph: Alexey Furman/Getty Images

Campaigning in Europe comes easily to populists but less so to centrists. A single word printed in large letters – “diesel” – is enough for the German far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) to tell voters exactly where it stands on the climate debate.

The modern European electorate is so angry about so much – the green deal, migrants, electric cars, cultural diversity, open markets, Europe, politics itself – it is hard for centrists to find a foothold.

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