These are 5 conclusions from the elections to the European Parliament

() – The results of the European Parliament elections, one of the world’s greatest democratic exercises, are being announced, and some clear narratives have already emerged from the days-long vote.

Far-right parties across the continent did well, but their momentum did not cause the center to collapse, as many had predicted.

On the other hand, the liberal and green groups lost seats and relevance in the European Parliament.

Meanwhile, domestic politics were altered in some countries, such as France, where new elections were announced.

This is what you need to know.

Ahead of the vote, eyes across Europe were primarily on the continent’s far-right parties, and the gains of these groups were expected to form a major part of Sunday’s narrative.

And so it was: far-right groups were expected to win a record number of seats in the European Parliament, dealing a blow to the leaders of the continent’s establishment.

An exit poll predicted that far-right parties would win about 150 of Parliament’s 720 seats, potentially frustrating mainstream parties’ efforts to form the majorities needed to pass laws.

Most of the far-right’s gains were concentrated in countries that elect a large number of seats: France, Italy and Germany.

But parties must still work to build consensus if they want to maximize their political threat.

The German AfD has no political home: it was removed from the far-right Identity and Democracy (ID) after its main European candidate, Maximilian Krah, said he did not consider all members of the Nazi SS criminals.

Other far-right parties are part of the non-aligned group, which is expected to obtain 45 seats.

Despite the rise of the far right, the European People’s Party (EPP) was the biggest individual winner on Sunday night.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a speech late Sunday that the group, which is expected to win the largest number of seats, could continue to act as an “anchor of stability.”

But he asked his political allies to help protect extremist parties.

“The center is holding up. But it is also true that the extremes of the left and the right have gained support, and that is why the result carries great responsibility for the center parties,” he declared before an audience in Brussels.

Von der Leyen appeared to rule out any possibility of the party joining far-right factions, telling reporters that she will reach out to the Progressive Alliance Group of Socialists and Democrats and the centrists and liberals of Renew Europe to form a “broad majority for a strong Europe.”

Von der Leyen, who is seeking a second term as president of the European Commission, stressed her desire to continue promoting “pro-European, pro-Ukrainian and pro-rule of law” parties.

The results greatly disrupted politics in several European countries, as some leaders could not ignore the advances of hitherto marginal groups.

French President Emmanuel Macron called a surprise early election on Sunday after his party was defeated by Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally (RN).

“I have decided to give them back the choice of their future parliamentarian through voting. Therefore, I dissolve the National Assembly tonight,” Macron said. Elections to elect a new Parliament will take place on June 30 and July 7.

France’s main far-right electoral lists in the European Elections took more than one in three votes cast, according to official results from the French Interior Ministry on Monday. France returns – the list for the European elections of Marine Le Pen’s RN party – and the list headed by her niece Marion Maréchal obtained 36.83% of the votes cast, more than the next three parties combined.

In a celebratory speech at RN headquarters before Macron’s shock announcement, party leader Jordan Bardella said the “unprecedented defeat of the current government marks the end of a cycle, and the first day of the post- -Macron.”

Meanwhile, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo resigned after his party suffered a disastrous defeat in national and European parliamentary elections.

The 48-year-old politician fought back tears as he announced his decision on Sunday night in Brussels. “I was the figure of this campaign. “This is not the result I expected and therefore I take responsibility for this result,” De Croo told reporters.

Few senior EU leaders enjoyed results night, but Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni saw her party gain ground and finish the process as a protagonist in European politics.

His national party, Brothers of Italy, has been the most right-wing to be elected to government in Italy since that of Benito Mussolini, the wartime fascist leader.

But Meloni has proven to be a pragmatic figure in Europe, becoming an ally of von der Leyen and a staunch supporter of Ukraine while pressuring the bloc to take a firmer stance on migration.

Those efforts could accelerate after the victory of the Brothers of Italy at the polls.

For his part, Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s efforts to make Poland a force in Brussels were boosted after his party prevailed over the populist opposition group Law and Justice (PiS).

Tusk has rebuilt Warsaw’s reputation on the European scene after defeating PiS in last October’s national elections. The former European Council president made reintegration with Europe a key pillar of his campaign and mandate, while Poland’s strategic importance to the bloc has increased following Russia’s invasion of neighboring Ukraine.

Mainstream leaders in Brussels will also be relieved that Hungary’s authoritarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, so long a thorn in the EU’s side, was dealt a serious blow on Sunday.

His party, Fidesz, had its worst results in a European election, losing ground to its center-right opponents.

As fringe right-wing parties gained ground, left-wing groups, and particularly the Greens, suffered cuts across Europe.

The first results showed that support for the Greens in France and Germany suffered particularly significant drops in seats.

“The losses in Germany and France are obviously a hard blow,” admitted Bas Eickhout, vice president of the Group of Greens/European Free Alliance and leading candidate of the European Green Party, in a statement following the results.

The group insisted it would work to ensure that the new Parliament prioritizes the fight against climate change, but its position has been greatly weakened and it remains to be seen to what extent European leaders will need to rely on its support.

The European Commission announced one of the world’s most ambitious targets in February to dramatically reduce planet-warming pollution, but faces opposition from rural areas across the continent, with farmers’ unions saying the plans represent a threat to their livelihoods.

‘s Christian Edwards, Niamh Kennedy and Luke McGee contributed to this report.