The results of the first round of parliamentary elections in France, which show that the National Rally (RN) was successful, and the emergence of right-wing governments in some other countries point to a major political shift in Europe that is a consequence of the 2015-2016 migrant crisis, Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said on Monday.

Three weeks after the European Parliament elections, in which Marine Le Pen’s party defeated other French rivals, this party has confirmed that it is a leading political camp in France, according to the results of the first round of French parliamentary elections.

President Emmanuel Macron dissolved the National Assembly and called new elections on 9 June after RN won the European elections with more than twice as many votes as Macron’s centrist coalition.

“Large-scale political changes are taking place on the European continent and beyond”

In the first round of voting on Sunday, the RN received 33% of the vote, while the left-wing parties united under the banner of the New Popular Front came second with 28% and Macron’s ensemble coalition came third with just 20% of the vote.

All this has reverberations across Europe, Plenkovic said after the leadership of his HDZ party held a regular weekly meeting in Zagreb.

Large-scale political changes are taking place on the European continent and beyond, he said, recalling that around 4 billion voters will go to the polls for various elections in 2024.

The support won by the RN is “a huge political message, alongside such a high turnout (in the French elections).”

Plenkovic recalled that the liberal government in Belgium has been toppled and will be replaced by a right-wing government and that a right-wing coalition is coming to power in the Netherlands.

Combination of pressure led to dissatisfaction

“In my opinion, there is no dilemma: the main reason for these developments are the years-long consequences of the great migrant crisis of 2015 and 2016, which have affected the political architecture and the general state of Western European democracies more than any other phenomenon,” said Plenkovic.

When this crisis, which is about citizens’ security or lack thereof in Western countries, and which is not pronounced in Croatia but very much so in Western Europe, is combined with the consequences of the energy, social, economic and inflation crises, this combination of pressure on the economy and social cohesion leads to discontent, he added.

People then opt for other political options, he said.

Given the peculiarities of the French electoral system, one should wait for the outcome of the second round of elections on 7 July, Plenkovic said.