Europe's Elections - Leaving Established Parties Behind?

In late May 2014, voters across Europe elected new members of the European Parliament (EP) in the largest transnational election in the world – from 28 countries and with almost 400 million voters. These elections have been described as an earthquake because the extreme right gained up to 25% of the votes cast in some EU states. The EU, it is claimed, is lurching dangerously to the extreme right, with racist parties gaining ground in almost every state. Although there is some truth in this claim, the situation is somewhat more complex, and possibly more serious, than this.