The rise of Euroscepticism across Europe has masked general apathy about the European elections among voters

Marine Le Pen’s Front National and Geert Wilders’ Party for Freedom have announced that they intend to form a ‘Eurosceptic alliance’ in the European Parliament after the 2014 European elections.

Duncan McDonnell writes that while the overall picture in the European elections will see Eurosceptic parties make gains in their overall vote share, they will have a fairly limited impact in the Parliament itself. He argues that the real threat to European integration is not a large Eurosceptic vote, but the potential for a low turnout brought about through general apathy toward the EU among ordinary voters.

EurActiv reported on the 19 May 2014 that the Front National, which leads EU election polls in France and could have a strong presence the European Parliament after the 2014 election, was eyeing a vice-president role in the EU assembly.

• Primary Source

ESO: Background information: None of the above: what impact will the rise of anti-EU parties have on the next European Parliament? http://www.europeansources.info/record/none-of-the-above-what-impact-will-the-rise-of-anti-eu-parties-have-on-the-next-european-parliament/

ESO: Background information: Le Pen launches plan to unite the far right http://www.europeansources.info/record/le-pen-launches-plan-to-unite-the-far-right/

European Parliament: About Parliament: In the Past: Turnout at the European elections (1979-2009) http://www.europarl.europa.eu/aboutparliament/en/000cdcd9d4/Turnout-%281979-2009%29.html

LSE EuroppBlog, 06.05.14: Lega Nord’s Euroscepticism represents political opportunism rather than a deeply-held ideological stance similar to UKIP http://bit.ly/1ht9ycU

EUObserver, 07.05.14: Euro-exit parties fail to do their maths http://euobserver.com/eu-elections/123888

Euronews, 14.05.14: Le Pen, Wilders set for eurosceptic pact http://www.euronews.com/2014/05/14/le-pen-wilders-set-for-eurosceptic-pact/

The Guardian, 14.05.14: The rise of Europe's far right will only be halted by a populism of the left http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/may/14/rise-of-europe-far-right-only-halted-by-populism-of-left

Blog: LSE EuroppBlog, 14.05.14: The European Parliament elections may be a landmark for Eurosceptics, but the EU’s future direction will be decided elsewhere http://bit.ly/1mUPQPt

EurActiv, 16.05.14: Wilders-Le Pen alliance: what makes it, what breaks it? http://www.euractiv.com/sections/eu-elections-2014/wilders-le-pen-alliance-what-makes-it-what-breaks-it-302155

BBC News, 16.05.14: What impact will more Eurosceptics have on EU Parliament? http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-26994777

BBC News, 19.05.14: The Eurosceptic challenge http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-27466418

EurActiv, 19.05.14: Le Pen eyes VP role in new far-right EU Parliament group http://www.euractiv.com/sections/eu-elections-2014/le-pen-eyes-vp-role-new-far-right-eu-parliament-group-302216

Euronews, 21.05.14: Eurosceptic vote success ‘would force mainstream parties into new coalitions’ http://www.euronews.com/2014/05/21/eurosceptic-vote-success-would-force-mainstream-parties-into-new-coalitions/

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