Should We Be Worried?

Some thoughts on the recent EU Parliament elections

I’ve taken a couple of days to sort through my thoughts - and read what others are saying - about the results of the recent EU Parliament elections. And, yes, while the significant support shown for right-wing parties like the Alternative for Deutschland (AfD) in Germany and the National Rally (RN) in France are concerning, I think it’s important to put the results into context.

As an American, the number and variety of political parties in Germany - and in Europe - can seem overwhelming. In the U.S., we are accustomed to what has become essentially a two-party electoral system, with some fringe parties or independent candidates claiming a legislative seat here and there.

Source: Map by Erinthecute - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

That’s not case here. There are parties that are far-right, moderate right, center-right, center-left, moderate left, and far left, etc. Elections result in the parties being assigned proportional representation in government. To get anything do…