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Tusk's political alliance, Civic Coalition, maintained its lead over the right-wing populist Law and Justice or PiS, with the far-right Confederation party entering the European Parliament for the first time.

Early projections of the European election results in Poland show that Tusk's Civic Coalition is set to keep its lead over its rival Law and Justice or PiS party, mimicking national election results in December.

An Ipsos exit poll published by Polish television channel TVN24 showed that with 38% of the vote, Tusk's political alliance should be able to delegate around 21 MEPs to the new European Parliament.

The right-wing populist PiS came in second place with a predicted result of 33.9%.

The European election vote in Poland has largely been framed as a test for Tusk's party, who have come out on top over the PiS in the elections for the first time in ten years.

After crafting a coalition government following a general election in December, Tusk has aimed to establish himself and his party as a dominant force in Polish politics.

During his campaign, he framed the vote as a choice between safety in the European Union and a risky future outside of it.

Tusk a former European Council president has maintained a staunch pro-European stance in stark contrast to his political rival PiS leader Jarosaw Kaczyski, who expressed his disapproval of the European Union after casting his vote in Warsaw on Sunday.

Other parties in Tusk's coalition include the centre-right Third Way, which is projected to win 8.2%, and the Left, which is estimated to achieve 6.6%.

The far-right nationalist Confederation party is also predicted to enter the European Parliament for the first time with 11.9% of the vote. The result is a win for the party, who previously failed to reach the 5% electoral threshold in 2019.

A patchwork party comprised of an alliance of several parties further to the right of the PiS, it includes nationalists, libertarians and monarchists with hardline views, including antisemitic and anti-LGBTQ+ stances.

The European election is the third vote in Poland in about eight months. The country has already held parliamentary elections last October and local elections in April.

This year, the turnout in the European elections was 39%, less than in 2019 when it hit 45.7%.

According to Jan Kubik, Director of the UCL School of Slavonic and East European Studies at University College London, voter turn-out is crucial in the Polish results.

"The lower turnout will mean that people are, as I suspect, more focused on crucial domestic issues. Higher turnout means that people are translating those domestic issues more broadly to the EU," Kubik said.

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Poland exit polls: PM Tusk keeps upper hand over PiS in EU elections - Euronews

In response to the extensive damage inflicted on Ukraine's energy infrastructure by Russia's targeted attacks, the European Union is stepping up its support with a deployment of additional resources.

Over 1,000 power generators are being offered from the rescEU strategic reserves to help mitigate the energy shortages experienced by Ukraine. These generators are crucial for providing immediate relief, ensuring that essential services can continue to operate and that citizens have access to electricity during these difficult times.

This assistance complements support offered by EU Member States and Participating States of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism.

Anticipating the harsh winter months ahead, the EU is also mobilising further rescEU stockpiles to provide essential shelter equipment and medical supplies. This comprehensive aid package aims to ensure the resilience and well-being of the Ukrainian population, with a focus on those displaced from communities close to the frontlines.

In addition to these efforts, the EU Civil Protection Mechanism has played a pivotal role in coordinating the provision of more than 15,000 solar panels to Ukraine. This initiative not only supports immediate energy needs but also contributes to the sustainable reconstruction of Ukraine's energy sector. The deployment of solar panels will help diversify Ukraine's energy sources, reduce dependency on damaged infrastructure, and promote the use of renewable energy.

In addition, the EU Civil Protection Mechanism has provided millions of emergency items to Ukraine across different sectors including shelter, rescue capacities, medical equipment, basic services and humanitarian demining, among others.

To date, more than 148,000 tonnes of multi sector assistance have been delivered to Ukraine by 27 Member States and 6 Participating States through the Mechanism, and over 3,400 Ukrainian patients have been evacuated to 22 recipient countries across Europe. This is the largest and most complex EU Civil Protection Mechanism operation to date.

These actions underscore the EUs commitment to supporting Ukraine following Russias war of aggression. in addressing both immediate and long-term needs, demonstrating solidarity and support for Ukraine's sovereignty and resilience.

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The European Union mobilises additional assistance to support Ukraine - European Union

Voting has ended to elect the European Unions regional lawmakers for the next five-year term after the last remaining polls closed in Italy, as surging far-right parties dealt a body blow to two of the blocs most important leaders: French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

Official results were expected any moment after Italian polling stations closed at 11 p.m. local time (2100GMT), officially ending a marathon election spanning four days across 27 bloc member countries.

An initial projection provided by the European Union indicated far-right parties have made big gains at the European Parliament.

In France, the National Rally party of Marine Le Pendominated the pollsto such an extent that Macron immediately dissolved the national parliament and called for new elections, a massive political risk since his party could suffer more losses, hobbling the rest of his presidential term that ends in 2027.

Le Pen was delighted to accept the challenge. Were ready to turn the country around, ready to defend the interests of the French, ready to put an end to mass immigration, she said, echoing the rallying cry of so many far-right leaders in other countries who were celebrating substantial wins.

Macron acknowledged the thud of defeat. Ive heard your message, your concerns, and I wont leave them unanswered, he said, adding that calling a snap election only underscored his democratic credentials.

In Germany, the most populous nation in the 27-member bloc,projections indicatedthat the AfD overcame a string of scandals involving its top candidate to rise to 16.5%, up from 11% in 2019. In comparison, the combined result for the three parties in the German governing coalition barely topped 30%.

Scholz suffered such an ignominious fate that his long-established Social Democratic party fell behind the extreme-right Alternative for Germany, which surged into second place. After all the prophecies of doom, after the barrage of the last few weeks, we are the second strongest force, a jubilant AfD leader Alice Weidel said.

The four-day polls in the 27 EU countries were the worlds second-biggest exercise in democracy, behind Indias recent election. At the end, the rise of the far right was even more stunning than many analysts predicted.

The French National Rally crystalized it as it stood at over 30% or about twice as much as Macrons pro-European centrist Renew party that is projected to reach around 15%.

Overall across the EU, two mainstream and pro-European groups, the Christian Democrats and the Socialists, remained the dominant forces. The gains of the far right came at the expense of the Greens, who were expected to lose about 20 seats and fall back to sixth position in the legislature. Macrons pro-business Renew group also lost big.

For decades, the European Union, which has its roots in the defeat of Nazi Germany and fascist Italy, confined the hard right to the political fringes. With its strong showing in these elections, the far right could now become a major player in policies ranging from migration to security and climate.

Bucking the trend was former EU leader and current Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who overcame Law and Justice, the national conservative party that governed Poland from 2015-23 and drove it ever further to the right. A poll showed Tusks party won with 38%, compared to 34% for his bitter nemesis.

Of these large, ambitious countries, of the EU leaders, Poland has shown that democracy, honesty and Europe triumph here, Tusk told his supporters. I am so moved.

He declared, We showed that we are a light of hope for Europe.

Germany, traditionally a stronghold for environmentalists, exemplified the humbling of the Greens, who were predicted to fall from 20% to 12%. With further losses expected in France and elsewhere, the defeat of the Greens could well have an impact on the EUs overallclimate change policies, still the most progressive across the globe.

The center-right Christian Democratic bloc of EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, which alreadyweakened its green credentialsahead of the polls, dominated in Germany with almost 30%, easily beating Scholzs Social Democrats, who fell to 14%, even behind the AfD.

What you have already set as a trend is all the better strongest force, stable, in difficult times and by a distance, von der Leyen told her German supporters by video link from Brussels.

As well as France, the hard right, which focused its campaign on migration and crime, was expected to make significant gains in Italy, where Premier Giorgia Meloni was tipped to consolidate her power.

Voting continued in Italy until late in the evening and many of the 27 member states have not yet released any projections. Nonetheless, data already published confirmed earlier predictions: the elections will shift the bloc to the right and redirect its future. That could make it harder for the EU to pass legislation, and decision-making could at times be paralyzed in the worlds biggest trading bloc.

EU lawmakers, who serve a five-year term in the 720-seat Parliament, have a say in issues from financial rules to climate and agriculture policy. They approve the EU budget, which bankrolls priorities including infrastructure projects, farm subsidies andaid delivered to Ukraine. And they hold a veto over appointments to the powerful EU commission.

These elections come at a testing time for voter confidence in a bloc of some 450 million people. Over the last five years, the EU has beenshaken by the coronavirus pandemic, aneconomic slumpand anenergy crisisfueled by the biggest land conflict in Europe since the Second World War. But political campaigning often focuses on issues of concern in individual countries rather than on broader European interests.

Since the last EU election in 2019, populist or far-right parties now lead governments in three nations Hungary, Slovakia and Italy and are part of ruling coalitions in others including Sweden, Finland and, soon, the Netherlands. Polls give the populists an advantage inFrance,Belgium,Austria andItaly.

Right is good, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbn, who leads a stridently nationalist and anti-migrant government, told reporters after casting his ballot. To go right is always good. Go right!

See more here:
Far-right parties make stunning gains in EU election, prompting Macron to call snap vote in France - Fortune

Israels offensive on Rafah will likely kill more civilians and is being carried out despite explicit warnings against it from European Union member states and the United States, the EUs top diplomat says.

The Rafah offensive has started again, in spite all the requests of the international community, the US, the European Union member states, everybody asking [Israeli Prime Minister] Netanyahu not to attack, Josep Borrell tells journalists.

I am afraid that this is going to cause again a lot of casualties, civilian casualties. Whatever they say, he says, adding: There are no safe zones in Gaza.

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EU's Borrell: Rafah offensive will cause civilian casualties, no matter what Israel says - The Times of Israel

Digging into the data

So, what does Eurovision have to say about who should be in charge of the European Union?

We looked at the number of Eurovision points that each EU27 country has won over the last 10 years and learned that, in a shock to everyone, Sweden, this years hosts, should be running the show, with a little help from a Southern friend: Italy.

The figures also show that little Malta and Cyprus should move toward center-stage. But Germany needs to take a back seat.

Spare a thought, too, for Luxembourg and Slovakia, who sit at the bottom of the ranking due to their lack of participation in the contest over the last decade. Luxembourg is taking part in this years contest, so it could rise up the rankings, but Slovakia isnt and hasnt been an entrant since 2012.

There are of course many similarities between Eurovision and the EU. Both are relatively exclusive clubs that many want to join, through what we might define as an enlargement process.

Eurovision started in 1956 with seven participating countries: Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Switzerland (thats the six founding members of the European Coal and Steel Community plus the place that gave us Toblerone).

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Who would run the EU if decided by Eurovision? - POLITICO Europe