Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he was taking an optimistic approach after the European Parliament took a turn to the far right in the European elections. These results could, however, have an impact on Canada’s trade and climate policies.
“This shows that the far right is becoming more and more dominant across Europe,” says Achim Hurrelmann, co-director of the Center for European Studies at Carleton University.
“They have now become a persistent part of the party system that we must take into account. »
Far-right parties surged ahead in weekend voting for the European Parliament, taking seats from traditional parties across the continent.
French President Emmanuel Macron announced, to everyone’s surprise, that he was calling early legislative elections after his party suffered a heavy defeat at the hands of the far-right National Rally party, which obtained more than 31% of the vote. . Some 16% of German votes went to the Alternative for Germany, also far-right, despite a series of scandals and accusations of racism.
Hurrelmann points out that European Union (EU) countries such as Italy and Austria have also seen strengthening support for parties previously considered fringe, but which have recently adopted a more moderate tone.
“Far-right parties now exist as a significant political force in most (EU) member states,” he notes.
Mr. Hurrelmann notes that these elections come against a backdrop where Europe is grappling with challenges that it must address, including concerns about the cost of living and immigration.
The results were influenced by factors unique to each country, says Hurrelmann. He believes that the high support for far-right parties in France and Germany was also a protest vote against the governments of these two countries.
But he says some issues cut across the continent, such as the cost of the war in Ukraine and the argument that letting Russia invade that country could bring down high gas prices.
What effects in Canada?
Mr. Hurrelmann recalls that the European “green deal” includes policies to reduce carbon emissions that are consistent with Canadian policies, but that more and more parties across the continent want to reform this project.
“Probably the most interesting area to watch is climate change policy,” believes the researcher.
Last November, Canada and the EU declared they were forming an “increasing partnership” focused on global stability, the fight against climate change and respect for human rights.
But Mr Hurrelmann believes growing populism could lead to a more insular approach from Europe, particularly if US voters return Donald Trump to the White House as he vows not to respect the international rules and institutions.
“We are already seeing an increased trend in Europe to look more closely at the interests of the European Union, rather than trying to protect the rules-based international order above all,” he said. This could be quite problematic for Canada, if Europe is no longer this inflexible ally for Canadian priorities. »
On Monday, Justin Trudeau reacted to the results in France, noting that “a rise of right-wing populist forces” is occurring in most democracies.
“We see in all democracies around the world more pressure from a populist right which does not offer a lot of solutions, but which is mobilizing anger, fear, frustration,” he said. declared to journalists in Quebec.
“My approach is always to propose concrete solutions rather than simply amplifying anger. Others choose to try to exploit it,” he continued.
Conservatives have repeatedly argued that growing frustration in Canada is the result of Liberal policies that they say have caused economic problems.
Mr. Hurrelmann also indicates that the results of the French elections could put a strain on the free trade agreement between Canada and the EU. In March, the French Senate rejected the agreement which has been provisionally in force since 2017, while a handful of other countries have yet to fully implement the agreement.
Canada’s Ambassador to the EU, Ailish Campbell, said last month that the interim implementation had worked well, and she suggested that signing the same agreement today might not be possible due to the rise of protectionism in Europe in recent years.
“It was incredibly smart that we made this deal when we did,” she told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on May 30.
“It is the duty of the EU to determine how it ratifies this agreement, and it should take all the time necessary to complete this process, because the agreement is working really well. »