European Parliament Elections: Conservative Shift Expected as Frustrated Voters Shift Away from Mainstream Parties

Voters in the European Union are set to elect 720 lawmakers to the European Parliament for the next five years, and the election is expected to result in a shift to the right as voters frustrated over the high cost of living and migration drift from mainstream parties.

The outgoing European Parliament has been governed by a three-group majority of the center-right European People's Party, the center-left Progressive Alliance Socialists and Democrats, and the liberal Renew Europe. However, the election is expected to change the balance of power in the parliament, with conservative and far-right groups gaining ground.

The European People's Party, the largest group in the outgoing parliament, has seen its support decline in recent years due to its skepticism towards the EU's Green Deal and other climate change initiatives. The center-left Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats has also been weakened by the Qatargate cash-for-lobbying scandal, which has led to the arrest of several of its members.

Renew Europe, the third group in the governing coalition, is dominated by French President Emmanuel Macron's Renaissance party. Macron's party is expected to lose ground in the election to Marine Le Pen's far-right Rassemblement National.

The Greens/European Free Alliance, which dominated the fight against climate change in the outgoing parliament, is also expected to lose seats in the election as voters become more concerned about the economic costs of the green transition.

The Left Group - GUE/NGL, which includes members of La France Insoumise, Spain's Podemos Unida, and Germany's Die Linke, prioritizes workers' rights, economic justice, and equality for women and minorities. The group is expected to gain seats in the election, but its prospects are uncertain due to a new German leftist breakaway by former Die Linke co-chair Sahra Wagenknecht.

The European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR), which was once home to Britain's Conservative Party, is dominated by members of Poland's eurosceptic Law and Justice (PiS) party. The group is expected to gain seats in the election, but its role in the new parliament is uncertain due to the differing views of its members on the EU and other issues.

Identity and Democracy (ID), the furthest right group in the parliament, is expected to be one of the biggest winners in the election. The group includes France's Rassemblement National, which has capitalized on voter frustration over the cost of living and migration. However, the group has also been weakened by the expulsion of Alternative for Germany after the party's lead candidate made controversial statements about the Nazis.

The election of 720 lawmakers to the European Parliament on June 6-9 will shape EU policy for the next five years. The parliament plays a key role in the EU's legislative process and has the power to approve or reject laws proposed by the European Commission.