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maltatoday | MONDAY • 27 MAY 2019
EUROPE 2019
the vote and Denmark (13%)
and Austria (13%). For the first
time ever, the Greens have
won a seat from Portugal.
In Hungary, Orban's Fidesz
party, which was recently sus-
pended from the EPP and may
join a new right-wing alliance
spearheaded by Italy's Vice
Premier Matteo Salvini, re-
soundingly won by 56%, easily
defeating a fragmented oppo-
sition. The conservative right-
wing also won in Poland, an-
other country singled out for
rule of law issues which trig-
gered Article 7 procedures by
the EU.
As expected in Greece the
conservative New Democracy
party has overtaken Alexis
Tsipras's leftist SYRIZA which
was elected to government on
a platform to reject austerity
but ended up implementing
the EU-imposed debt repay-
ment programmes.
In Britain Nigel Farage's
Brexit Party has overtaken all
the other parties with g. But
the pro remain Liberal Demo-
crats and the Greens have also
increased their seats.
The Socialists have registered
significant gains in Spain, Por-
tugal, the Netherlands, Sweden
and Denmark. In Spain the So-
cialists led by Pedro Sanchez
have increased their share of
the vote by 5 points while the
Popular Party has lost 9 points.
tide
