Pro-war EU politicians have been “punished” in the European parliamentary elections, NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden said on Monday.
The comments come as the results of EU parliamentary elections which wrapped up on Sunday, reveal a significant voter swing to right-wing and conservative parties, particularly in France and Germany, where they are projected to beat out the ruling coalitions of President Emmanuel Macron and Chancellor Olaf Scholz, respectively.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Snowden argued that the defeat of pro-war politicians in the elections is “not a good sign for [US President Joe] Biden,” suggesting that Washington is the one that decides when the conflicts begin and end.
Over the weekend, hundreds of millions of people are estimated to have taken part in the parliamentary elections across 27 EU member states. According to preliminary results, support for conservative and right-wing parties has grown significantly, as people are increasingly opposed to the bloc’s policies, especially those regarding immigration, the climate, military support for Ukraine, and sanctions on Russia.
In France, the right-wing National Rally, previously led by Marine Le Pen, received more than 30% of the vote, while Macron’s Renaissance party only managed around 15%, prompting the French leader to dissolve the National Assembly and call a snap general election.
In Germany, Scholz’s ruling Social Democrats received their worst results in decades with just 14% of the vote, according to projections, while the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) is expected to finish in second place with an estimated 15%. The center-right CDU-CSU alliance is projected to win around 30% of the vote.
Similar results were seen for conservative parties in other EU states as well, including Belgium, the Netherlands, and Italy.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has vowed that the bloc will continue on a “pro-Ukraine path,” as her centrist faction is projected to remain the largest group in the European Parliament with an estimated 26% of the seats.