Voter anger has emerged as a key message from the disappointing results of the U.S. midterm elections for current officials in Europe. This anger, stemming from rising living costs that led to Donald Trump's election, has now turned against him and poses a threat to officials in major EU countries such as Spain, Italy, France, Greece, and Poland.
Economic Risks for Current Officials
Dissatisfaction with rising prices and unaffordable housing, particularly for Giorgia Meloni, the Prime Minister of Italy, could be problematic. She has faced a wave of protests due to rising fuel prices. Irene Tinagli, an Italian Member of the European Parliament, states that the election results in the United States reflect the consequences of populist leaderships that have failed to deliver on their promises.
Tinagli added, "Trump came to power with the promise of reducing living costs, but these promises have not been fulfilled." Polls indicate that voters are currently focusing on economic issues.
New Opportunities for Le Pen
In Spain, the issue of affordability has become a central topic in the election campaign scheduled for November 29. Predictions suggest that the right-wing Vox party, which has criticized socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez for failing to meet citizens' basic needs, will gain enough seats to enter the government for the first time as a coalition partner.
While current officials face challenges, Le Pen and her nationalist party are capitalizing on voter dissatisfaction. Alexandre Loubert, a representative of Le Pen's nationalist party, states that living costs will be "the main issue in the campaign" and adds that they are very cohesive on this matter.
Le Pen, who is recognized as a frontrunner in the presidential race, has long made living costs a key focus of her agenda and is exploiting the government's economic and financial issues. She has highlighted affordable housing as a central theme in her first electoral appearance and continues her promises to support retirees against future financial pressures.
At her party congress last week, Le Pen presented a message of change and hope, adopting the slogan "Renaissance" from her rival, Emmanuel Macron, for her campaign. Loubert stated that this positive tone was intentional and that there is a need to provide hope and vision in the country.
Recent protests in Spain, France, Italy, and to a lesser extent in Germany, have centered around dissatisfaction with living costs, especially for young people. This dissatisfaction resonates with similar sentiments in the United States, where polls have shown that young Americans feel their economic situation is worsening.
Currently, centrist candidates are struggling to find the right message in this context. Édouard Philippe, Le Pen's centrist rival and former Prime Minister, has encountered difficulties in appealing with a realistic economic program. In Germany, the Christian Democratic Party and Chancellor Friedrich Merz are also under pressure following recent electoral defeats.
Sigrid Frisch, a young Member of the European Parliament from the Danish Social Liberal Party, states, "These elections show that if you want to win the hearts and minds of citizens, you cannot combat populism by defending the status quo." She added, "Those who have succeeded in this campaign are the young and the leading forces who are truly the agents of change."
