Europe’s political centre holds in weekend of elections

It was called Super Sunday – three elections in European Union nations on the same day.

All eyes were on Romania’s presidential run-off – a crucial vote for the NATO member, in which a centrist victory has been welcomed by the EU and Ukraine.

In Poland, the governing party’s pro-EU candidate and his right-wing nationalist rival are set for a decisive second-round vote in June. But the centrist Warsaw mayor’s slim lead means the country could still lean towards populism.

Perhaps the biggest change was in Portugal, where the centre-right alliance won snap parliamentary elections as the far right won a record number of votes.

Europe’s political centre appears to be holding but for how much longer?

And will these results reassure an EU seeking respite from the turbulence of populist politics?

Presenter: Adrian Finighan

Guests:

Pieter Cleppe, editor-in-chief, BrusselsReport.eu

Piotr Buras, head of the European Council on Foreign Relations

Antonio Costa Pinto, professor of political science, University of Lisbon