Europe Day marks 1 month till EU elections. Rise of hard right, wilting of Green Deal are possible

By RAF CASERT
Associated Press

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union marks its annual Europe Day on Thursday. But instead of the humdrum celebrations, all eyes are on the EU elections in a month’s time. They portend a steep rise of the extreme right and a possible move away from the bloc’s global trendsetting climate policies. EU elections hardly caused a ripple for decades. The June 6-9 elections are the most important in memory because they are being held at a time of continuous crisis on a continent facing war in Ukraine, climate emergencies, a shifting of geopolitical plates and fundamental questions on the reach and purpose of the EU itself.