The result was as predicted for a long time: far-right movements are consolidating and growing on the European continent. This news is not new and should not be alarming. What happened yesterday in the elections to the European Parliament needs to be interpreted in the correct context, beyond electoral numbers that appear concerning.

Perhaps it is still more the noise generated by a right-wing sovereigntist movement, turned transnational, than the actual significance of yesterday's result. First of all, it is necessary to highlight that the average voter turnout was 40% of the eligible population in different countries, except Germany. This way, the number of participants decreases compared to previous elections, significantly in countries like Spain. This voter turnout means that the European continent is further away from everyday reality, and when more direct problems for Germans, French, Spanish, or Italians are at stake, there are still many potential voters with the power to decide.

The absenteeism also shows that, in reality, the population is more distanced from politics, which solves nothing, than close to the far-right, which preaches archaic and undemocratic values. The provisional results, on the other hand, show that despite the evident advance of the far-right, the popular Europeans, social democrats, liberals, and greens obtained 63% of the votes, retaining the majority without the growing right being able to modify the pro-European structure of the European Parliament.

The two most notable cases of these Euro-elections, which have generated more significant symbolism as a victory for the right, have been Germany and France. Here, too, the results need to be evaluated in their proper dimension. In Germany, the far-right AfD “Alternative für Deutschland” has surpassed the ruling party of Olaf Scholz but obtained half the votes compared to the CDU/CSU, which with 30% of votes stands out as the country's leading party. The ruling party likely pays the price of an economic recession that has impacted Europe's economic engine, a consequence of the conflict in Ukraine.

In France, the strength of the far-right “Front National” of the Le Pen family has been trying for decades to obtain the Élysée, always being thwarted by the coalition of all political forces. Marine Le Pen, daughter of the party's founder, has continuously presented herself as a presidential candidate for her party since 2012. It is true that the percentage of Front National voters has been steadily increasing and now exceeds 31%, but it is even more true that, at the decisive moment, the French demonstrate their deep republican values and prevent Le Pen from becoming president.

This explains Macron's risky decision last night in the face of the overwhelming vote difference, half, of his party compared to the “Front National,” leading him to dissolve the parliament and call for almost immediate elections. The president of France, humiliated, instead of adopting a conservative and prudent position, decides to risk all his forces, trying to give an immediate counter-blow to "resize" the electoral percentages, creating alliances resulting from the widespread rejection of Le Pen. The counter-blow could be effective and prevent the far-right from consolidating in the coming years before the elections.

The risky and bold decision could also have another outcome: bringing the representative of Le Pen's party as Prime Minister of France and, in this situation of daily exercise of power, highlighting all the programmatic deficiencies and the inability to govern and solve problems of the far-right. Because in reality, beyond the “leitmotiv,” what is the true program of far-right movements?

Last night, watching the representatives of Le Pen's party on television, the answers were recurrent. First, “the fight against immigration,” then the “increase of the French purchasing power,” and third, the “reindustrialization of France.” The fight against immigration is a problem that is not very easy to solve. Giorgia Meloni in Italy is the most evident example. The immigration she combats has increased significantly.

Increasing purchasing power and reindustrializing Europe cannot, without a doubt, result from sovereigntist policies that establish barriers and restrictions on the movement of goods, capital, and individuals, but rather the consequence of a regime of freedoms. The triumph of these elections is then of Europe, and it is no mere coincidence that far-right movements no longer invoke the example of the failed Brexit or the exit from the Euro, the single currency.

The triumph belongs to Europe, which is too strong to coexist with those who unsuccessfully wish to distance it from the essence of its visionary founders, who have extended a single market of freedoms to 27 member countries.