European Parliament – Election, 22 – 25 May 2014. Results

The centre-right European People's Party (EPP) won the most seats in the 2014 European Parliament elections. The Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament took the second largest number of seats.

However of equal importance, across Europe mainstream parties lost out to anti-establishment parties, with the biggest upset in France. Ukip and the Front National emerged as the clear winners in the United Kingdom and France.

For some commentators European politics had been shaken to their very core. Others put their hopes in a revived debate about Europe.

However, and against all odds, Europeans averted yet another decline in voter turnout in the European Parliament elections, which remained stable at 43.1%.

• Primary Source

EUObserver, 26.05.14: Centre-right wins most EP seats, but anti-establishment parties score well http://euobserver.com/eu-elections/124320

EurActiv, 26.05.14: Europe on course for ‘grand coalition’ after election http://www.euractiv.com/sections/eu-elections-2014/europe-course-grand-coalition-after-election-302386

ESO: Background information: European Parliament: Election, May 2014 http://www.europeansources.info/record/european-parliament-election-may-2014/

BBC News, 26.05.14: Eurosceptic 'earthquake' rocks EU http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-27559714

Euronews, 26.05.14: Europe’s night of seismic shocks for Brussels http://www.euronews.com/2014/05/26/europe-s-night-of-seismic-shocks-for-brussels/

Deutsche Welle, 26.05.14: Predicted political earthquake hits parts of EU http://dw.de/p/1C6mO

France24, 26.05.14: Historic gains for far right in European elections http://www.france24.com/en/20140525-live-eurosceptics-spotlight-eu-votes/

Euro|Topics, 26.05.14: European elections: triumph of the Eurosceptics http://www.eurotopics.net/en/home/presseschau/archiv/archiv_dossier/DOSSIER144074-European-elections-triumph-of-the-Eurosceptics

European Commission: RAPID: STATEMENT/14/171: Statement of President Barroso on the outcome of the 2014 European Parliament elections http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_STATEMENT-14-171_en.pdf

Blog: LSE EuroppBlog, 26.05.14: European Parliament election results – our experts react http://bit.ly/1lMRU5D

EurActiv, 26.05.14: Slightly higher election turnout averted a ‘big disaster’ http://www.euractiv.com/sections/eu-elections-2014/slightly-higher-election-turnout-averted-big-disaster-302383

European Parliament: Newsroom: Press Release, 26.05.14: Elections night is over: what follows? http://www.elections2014.eu/en/news-room/content/20140526STO48431/html/Elections-night-is-over-what-follows

Euro|Topics, 27.05.14: Juncker and Schulz both after presidency http://www.eurotopics.net/en/home/presseschau/archiv/archiv_dossier/DOSSIER144157-Juncker-and-Schulz-both-after-presidency

EurActiv, 27.05.14: Think tank: no reason to rejoice about high EU election turnout http://www.euractiv.com/sections/eu-elections-2014/think-tank-no-reason-rejoice-about-high-eu-election-turnout-302420

European Voice, 28.05.14: Business as usual is not an option [Editorial] http://www.europeanvoice.com/article/business-as-usual-is-not-an-option/

EUObserver, 25.05.14: EU turnout nearly unchanged from 2009 http://euobserver.com/eu-elections/124299

EUObserver, 27.05.14: Commissioners return to uncertain future despite their EP election http://euobserver.com/eu-elections/124391

Spiegel Online International, 26.05.14: Opinion: A Victory for European Democracy http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/editorial-on-the-importance-of-the-eu-election-for-european-democracy-a-971766.html

European Policy Centre: Post-European Parliament Elections Analysis, 27 May 2014 http://www.epc.eu/documents/uploads/pub_4464_post-ep_elections_analysis.pdf

BBC News, 28.05.14: EU elections: The European malaise http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-27601932

Deutsche Welle, 27.05.14: Few economic surprises after EU elections http://dw.de/p/1C7oK

Open Europe: Flash Analysis, 26.5.14: Anti-EU and protest parties across Europe on course to win almost a third of all seats in new European Parliament http://www.openeurope.org.uk/Article/Page/en/LIVE?id=20114&page=FlashAnalysis

BBC News, 28.05.14: European elections: Ten highlights http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-27601937

Blog: LSE EuroppBlog, 31.05.14: The minimal rise in turnout in the EP elections shows that voter apathy is still the greatest threat to European democracy http://bit.ly/1pF3wv6

Social Europe Journal, 30.05.14: What To Make Of The European Election Result? http://www.social-europe.eu/2014/05/european-elections-3/

EurActiv, 04.06.14: High-profile ‘casualties’ in European Parliament elections http://www.euractiv.com/sections/eu-elections-2014/high-profile-casualties-european-parliament-elections-302581

Blog: LSE Europpblog, 16.06.14: The European Parliament should return to a ‘dual mandate’ system which uses national politicians as representatives instead of directly elected MEPs http://bit.ly/1vsMTpY

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