Greens/EFA co-president Philippe Lamberts and co-president Ska Keller attend the election night for European elections at the European Parliament, in Brussels, Belgium, May 26, 2019. REUTERS/Yves Herman
Brussels: The main conservative group in the European Parliament will remain the largest bloc after Sunday's elections, but has lost ground and will no wield a majority in coalition with its centre-left ally.
According to a projection based on partial results and exit polling, and released by the EU parliament, the centre-right EPP group is on course to have the most seats in the assembly with 173, down from 216.
But, with the centre-left Socialists and Democrats (S&D) projected to win 147 seats, down from 185, the two mainstream parties between them will no longer have a majority and will have to reach out to liberals if they plan to maintain a "cordon sanitaire" and exclude the far-right from decision making.
Under the projection -- which could still shift as results come in -- he liberal ALDE group, now joined by French President Emmanuel Macron's Renaissance movement, could increase its seats from 69 to 102.
The three mainstream parties would thus have a majority in the 751-seat assembly, but only if they can agree a common programme and not fall out over nominations to the European Union's most powerful posts.
The main Greens bloc could increase its contingent from 52 to 71, but the main winners from the fall in centrist support could yet be a loose alliance of nationalist and right-wing populists.
