What the far-right gains in European Parliament mean for migration, climate and human rights

Four days of voting in Europe have shifted the political centre to the right, with far-right parties on track to win just under a quarter of seats in the European Parliament.

While centrist parties remain in the majority, human rights advocates fear that a right-leaning parliament could stall or even roll back progress in certain areas.

Far-right parties campaigned to toughen up asylum policy, soften climate ambitions and boost “traditional” family values, while also capitalising on public discontent with high prices because of inflation.

Here’s how the election results could affect European Union action on major issues:

Green deal

The European Union has sought to take a leading global role in adopting green targets meant to tackle climate change, notably with its landmark “Green Deal” package of environmental policies.

But despite the acceleration of climate change, and the deadly toll of floods and wildfires in Europe last year, these ambitious policies have triggered fierce opposition, notably from farmers angered by an earnings squeeze they blame partly on policies to help transition away from fossil fuels.

While many of the Green Deal policies are already in place, new laws curbing carbon dioxide and greenhouse gas emissions will be up for review in the next five years and pushing through any new policies might be tougher under a right-leaning parliament.

Climate campaigners also point to the massive investment needed to...

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