During and in the
immediate aftermath of the European Parliamentary elections, most voters seem
to have been preoccupied with what they consider the most pressing issues in
their own country, namely the cost of living, immigration and defence.
Since then, it has
become clearer that the existential threat of global warming will be partly
helped, but also hindered, by the election results.
It will be helped
that the two climate conscious centrist groups have an overall majority in the
new parliament. Ursula Von Der Leyen,
the incumbent centrist leader of the EU Commission, the organisation’s top
authority, is a firm believer in the bloc’s ‘Green Deal’ to do all possible to
tackle the climate crisis and achieve net zero CO2 emissions as targeted.
Portugal is among Europe’s most supportive countries in that goal with the
elimination of fossil fuels.
The overall turnout
for the elections was just over 50%^, about the same as in 2019. In Portugal,
only 36.5% of eligible voters went to the polls. It was an even lower turnout
elsewhere. This, and the fact that the Green parties did so badly in the elections,
will hinder climate activism.
The Greens fell from
fourth to sixth overall in the parliament by losing a third of their seats
since the last elections in 2019. The loss was mainly in France and Germany, it
is thought that the losses were due not only to the big gains by the far-right,
but also because many younger voters did not vote at all.
Another setback has
been the results for the European Renew party, which lost 23 seats and is
reduced to 79, though it is still the third largest party after the two
centrist groups.
The shift to
far-right populism during the EU elections was particularly strong in Germany
and France. It could make it much more difficult o progress with Green Deal policies,
which may fizzle though not be ditched
The Green Deal, first
announced in 2019, aims to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions levels by at
least 55% by2030, compared to 1990 levels.
Climate scepticism
seems to have been substantially increasing in Europe in recent years while
more attention is focused on worries about the cost of living, in the face of
inflation, immigration, especially from the Middle East and other non-EU
countries, and defence due to Russia’s aggression.
As summer approaches,
we are again going to be challenged by alarming if not cataclysmic temperature rises
and associated extreme environmental disasters.
Grim news, but we
must face the truth.
