BRUSSELS, June 6. /TASS/. The European Parliament election held from June 6 to 9 is a political show orchestrated by EU bureaucracy to prevent the emergence of factions in the EP that reflect the real interests of European citizens, Kirill Logvinov, Russia’s acting permanent representative to the EU, told TASS.
"The European election increasingly resemble a political show with elements of immersive theater, directed by the euro-bureaucracy," the Russian diplomat said. "A close look at the priorities set by the ruling European elite ahead of the voting demonstrates their intention to maintain the political landscape in the European Parliament as much as possible. One of the aims is to ensure support for the 'single candidate from the euro-bureaucracy,' Ursula von der Leyen, for the position of the President of the European Commission. Meanwhile, in Brussels, there is unabashed talk about the need to exclude the emergence of factions in the EP that, upon gaining a platform, could disrupt the status quo of the EU's political mainstream. In other words, distancing themselves from MEPs who represent the interests of voters highly dissatisfied with the current EU policies," emphasized the Russian diplomat.
According to him, all this "is undoubtedly indicative of the deep political crisis the European Union is currently experiencing." "Under the pretext of the 'Russian threat' and the changed geopolitical context, the efforts of Brussels are aimed at strengthening the existing system, which is uninterested in the emergence of new European leaders. These leaders could point out the catastrophic mistakes that current politicians refuse to acknowledge," he highlighted.
European Parliament election
The European Parliament election began on June 6 in the Netherlands and will conclude on June 9 across all 27 EU countries. Most public opinion polls predict a rise in the popularity of right-wing parties despite a powerful media campaign against them. Of the 720 seats in the European Parliament, each EU country is allocated a specific number of seats proportionate to its population - ranging from 96 seats for Germany to 6 each for Cyprus, Malta, and Luxembourg. The struggle for these seats will take place in each EU country among their own political parties.
Most national parties are aligned with their ideological counterparts in supranational party associations: the European People's Party (EPP) - neo-Christian democrats with Atlanticist views (177 seats in the outgoing EP), social democrats (140), liberals (120), greens (72), the moderately right-wing European Conservatives and Reformists (68), the right-wing Identity and Democracy, which includes Germany's Alternative for Germany and France's National Rally (58), the far left (37), and other MEPs who are not members of factions..
The influence of the European Parliament on EU policy is limited; it does not have the right to legislative initiative and only approves the European Commission's decisions, with its resolutions being purely advisory.