Where will the EU go?

On May 26th, we are ahead of the crucial elections for the province”, says the chairman of the faction of Christian Democrats in the European Parliament, Manfred Weber, in the last week of meetings for European elections held in the plenium. Not only Weber the main candidate of the family of parties he attends but many other camps politicians have declared the European Parliament elections as elections that decide the fate of the EU. For Weber, Christian Democrat seeking to assume the post of EU Commission president, in late May we are dealing with a double battle between pro-European and nationalists.

This Europe we live in today is a good Europe. We will not allow it to be destroyed by nationalists”, Weber adds.

Never before have there been so many right-wing and sceptical populists towards Europe in EU member states. According to polls, they can receive 20 per cent of the mandates

For Hungary's national-conservative prime minister, Viktor Orban, it is a match between the Liberal Democrats, who are represented by him, and liberal Democrats. These want to change “the” population of Europe and Islam by introducing migrants, claims Hungarian prime minister, who is linked to German, French, Danish and Italian right.

“We must understand that Europe is located at a turning point”, Orban has said in the speech given at the Hungarian national holiday. Who welcomes illegal migrants and refugees, “creates nations with different races. In such lands, historical traditions are brought to an end and a new world order is created”!

The most beloved enemy for the right-wing people of Victor Orban, or Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvin, or the chairman of the Austrian FPO, Hans-Christian Strache, is French President Emmanuel Macron. He has declared war on Europe's “Liberal Democrats” and requires the <x2-born” of Europe, solidarity and compassion. Even for Emmanuel Macroni, who proposes major reforms, election day is fate.

The most important fight in this election is the battle between those who believe in Europe and those who do not believe”, the French president says four weeks before the election, in an activity held in Paris.

Work places, migration, climate protection, trade policy, Europe's biggest role in the world. These are the topics the EU must deal with in the coming years, pro-European stabbered parties say. The main candidates, Weber (Christian Democrat) and Frans Timmmermans (Socialist) do not differ much from each other. Both want new partnerships with Africa, for example, to have more investments in countries of refugee origin. There is only one topic for right-wing populists on the other: isolation, siege and keeping migrants out of Europe, says Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijarty, for example: “For us taking the majority against migration is an important goal. And Hungary will make its contribution. ”

Right-wing populists promise voters a whole other EU, in which national states will regain rights they have supposedly lost and that Brussels will be abolished as a centre. Frans Timmermans, the main candidate of the Socialists and currently vice president of the EU Commission in Brussels, says this is foolish.

We will not give power to extremists in Europe. These choices are crucial. The choice is up to you. You make the decision which Europe will have the next five years”, says Timmermans, in a debate held on German television.

The composition of the new Parliament will force the Christian Democrats, Social Democrats, Liberals and greens to work in a major coalition, European expert Janis Emmanouilidis thinks, from the Brussels-based production factory “European Police Centre”. The EU will not have total change after elections, he thinks: “We will not see any EU takeover from its enemies. This should be viewed with critical eyes, but it should not be exaggerated and viewed very negatively. In recent years the EU has shown a great force of resistance. That will happen in the future. ”

The important thing is for the new Parliament that after meeting the debt and migration crisis is armed for new crises in the economy, in proportion to the US, Russia and China. Here again, we are dealing with decisions about the direction to be given, warns European expert Emmanouilidis: “will have new crises. Today, it is not known whether these crises will disturb old problems or there will be new challenges. We have to be prepared to handle attacks”.

The EU should focus after elections mainly on economic development and the approach of living levels between the rich north and the poor south, EU researcher Karel Lannoo thinks, from the “Centre for European Policy Study” in Brussels. Only in this way can problems with right - hand populism, whose tendency is seen to be stronger in poor countries. Carl Lanoo requires “more integration”. The most important is to strengthen the internal market in Europe and do more trade outside Europe. Inside Europe we must think more about energy, digital economic policy and more freedom of movement for people. Outside of Europe we have to deal more with free trade, which has been heavily attacked since Trump is president. More customs duties are likely to be imposed. ”

crucial issues, turning points, separate roads... Images used for the election campaign for elections held on May 23rd through May 26th are dramatic. Of course, elections are important, European Commission spokesman Margaritis Schinas thinks, but should not be excessive.

I have been participating in European politics for several years. I don't remember having elections where it wasn't said: Europe is at a turning point. At such a moment we're always in, and it's okay that it's like this”, says Margaritis Schinas in an interview for “Euronews”. “This is the moment of European democracy and we have to taste it somehow. ”