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

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, which portend a steep rise of the extreme right and a possible move away from the bloc's global trendsetting climate policies.

After decades in which the EU elections hardly caused a ripple, the June 6-9 voting is the most important in memory. It is being held at a time of continuous crises on a continent which is experiencing a war in Ukraine, climate emergencies, a shifting of geopolitical plates and fundamental questions on the reach and purpose of the EU itself.

“It will be an existential fight,” said Guy Verhofstadt, a former Belgian prime minister and outgoing free-market liberal member of parliament who has been in the thick of EU politics for over a quarter century. It will pit “those who want less Europe and, then, those political forces who understand that in the world of tomorrow you need a far more integrated European Union to defend the interests of the Europeans,” he said in an interview.

In naked political terms, it means those traditional socialist, liberal and green forces that ran the EU parliament with the Christian Democrats over the past five years against the surging powers of the hard nationalist right, exemplified by leaders like Viktor Orbán of Hungary and Georgia Meloni of Italy.

The vote is the second-biggest exercise in democracy behind the elections in India, as the 27-nation bloc of 450 million people will be picking 720 parliamentarians to serve them over the next five years with decisive votes on everything from digital privacy rules to international trade policy and climate measures.

But more than that, when the results are made public late on June 9, it will be an indication whether the continental political drift will match the rightward swing seen across much of the globe from Argentina to the Netherlands and Slovakia.

Even if surveys diverge somewhat on the margins of the gains, they all point toward one thing: The nationalist hard right and populist parties will make strong gains.

“If I look at the polls all over Europe, more or less, I can always see the same scenario,” said Nicola Procaccini, Meloni's man in the European Parliament, who typically considers himself as part of the center-right far removed from the neo-fascist roots of his Brothers of Italy party.

He said likeminded parties "are rising more or less, everywhere.” That includes election victories in the Netherlands and Slovakia and polls showing they lead the way in France with Marine Le Pen 's National Rally.

When it comes to the fundamentals, the EU battle could be seen as Verhofstadt vs. Procaccini, with one insisting only more joint policies on issues like defense are the answer to the EU's global challenges ahead, and the other saying how the individual member states, with their cherished nationhood at its core, should always come first.

While 27 nations with often inefficient individual defense programs have left western Europe at the mercy of U.S. goodwill for much of the past half century, Verhofstadt wants a full defense union to stave off a belligerent Russia, and anticipate a non-committal United States if Donald Trump becomes president in November. “It is not individual member states which will protect the people,” he said.

“And that’s the reason why it’s an existential fight. Because if we lose this fight against the right-wing parties, we will be without defense, without security,” Verhofstadt said.

Procaccini instead centers on what many far-right parties see as encroachment and downright meddling in national affairs by the EU's institutions in Brussels and Strasbourg, France. They have specifically lashed out at the EU Green Deal to keep climate change at bay and have specifically targeted measures to force farmers into more environmentally friendly methods as overbearing and overruling national decision making. They want to hark back to the EU's timid origins some 60 years ago when cooperation was much more voluntary and limited.

“We want to restore the original idea of Europe,” Procacinni said.

It is unlikely the anti-EU parties will get a grip on legislative power but a surge into third place behind the Christian Democrats and Socialists would have a major impact. If the forecast of the European Council on Foreign Affairs holds, the think tank says "this ‘sharp right turn’ is likely to have significant consequences for European-level policies ... particularly on environmental issues, where the new majority is likely to oppose ambitious EU action to tackle climate change."

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has already softened some of the climate rules and her center-right Christian Democrat European People's Party, the biggest in the legislature, has moved rightward on migration on top of climate policy.

With a wilting of the Green Deal, it would make sure that beyond facing geopolitical crises, the EU would also face one of its own making.

Thursday's Europe Day honors the memory of Jean Monnet, one of the founding fathers of the European Union, who once said: “Europe will be forged in crises.”

FILE - Members of European Parliament participate in a series of votes as they attend a plenary session at the European Parliament in Brussels, on April 10, 2024. The European Union marks Europe Day on Thursday, May 9, but instead of the traditionally muted celebrations, all eyes are on the EU elections in one month time which portend a steep rise of the extreme right and a possible move away from its global trendsetting climate policies. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert, File)

FILE - A woman walks holding a baby by a sculpture depicting French diplomat Jean Monnet, part of the monument of the European Union Founding Fathers in Bucharest, Romania, on Dec. 29, 2018. The European Union marks Europe Day on Thursday, May 9, but instead of the traditionally muted celebrations, all eyes are on the EU elections in one month time which portend a steep rise of the extreme right and a possible move away from its global trendsetting climate policies. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda, File)

FILE - President of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe, Guy Verhofstadt, speaks in the hemicycle of the European Parliament in Brussels, on May 26, 2019. While 27 nations with often inefficient individual defense programs have left western Europe at the mercy of U.S. goodwill for much of the past half century, Verhofstadt wants a full defense union to stave off a belligerent Russia, and anticipate a non-committal United States if Donald Trump becomes president in November. (AP Photo/Olivier Matthys, File)

FILE - People wait in line to visit the European Parliament during Europe Day celebrations in Brussels on May 4, 2024. The European Union marks Europe Day on Thursday, May 9, but instead of the traditionally muted celebrations, all eyes are on the EU elections in one month time which portend a steep rise of the extreme right and a possible move away from its global trendsetting climate policies. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo, File)

FILE - A man wears a suit in the EU colors as he walks outside the European Parliament during Europe Day celebrations in Brussels on May 4, 2024. The European Union marks Europe Day on Thursday, May 9, but instead of the traditionally muted celebrations, all eyes are on the EU elections in one month time which portend a steep rise of the extreme right and a possible move away from its global trendsetting climate policies. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo, File)

FILE- A man holds a European Union flag as he walks outside the European Commission building during Europe Day celebrations in Brussels on May 4, 2024. The European Union marks Europe Day on Thursday, May 9, but instead of the traditionally muted celebrations, all eyes are on the EU elections in one month time which portend a steep rise of the extreme right and a possible move away from its global trendsetting climate policies. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo File)

FILE - A group stands under an election banner outside the European Parliament in Brussels on April 29, 2024. The European Union marks Europe Day on Thursday, May 9, but instead of the traditionally muted celebrations, all eyes are on the EU elections in one month time which portend a steep rise of the extreme right and a possible move away from its global trendsetting climate policies. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo, File)

MIAMI (AP) — Harrison Bader and Tyrone Taylor each drove in two runs in a four-run first inning, star closer Edwin Díaz was not used in a save situation and the New York Mets beat the Miami Marlins 7-3 on Sunday for just their second win in seven games.

Brandon Nimmo homered and Francisco Lindor singled twice following a 1-for-27 skid as the Mets rebounded from blowing a four-run, ninth-inning lead on Saturday and avoided a three-game sweep. New York stopped Miami’s four-game winning streak.

“You’re not defined by what you do the day before. You’re defined by how you get up from adversity,” Lindor said. “We wanted this one for sure. I think it’s important to win after a tough loss like that.”

Sean Manaea (3-1) allowed two runs and five hits in five innings. Sean Reid-Foley and Jake Diekman pitched an inning each, and Reed Garrett got his second save by allowing one hit over two innings with four strikeouts in a 34-pitch outing.

Díaz has a 10.80 ERA over his last eight appearances after serving up four homers in 8 1/3 innings. He has blown three of his last four save chances.

“We all believe in him. We all know he’s going to be back,” Garrett said. “Whenever my name’s called, I’ll pitch, but I know as a collective unit we all believe in Edwin and we know what he can do.”

New York (21-25) had dropped five games under .500 on Saturday for the first time since an 0-5 start.

“Not an easy weekend, not the way we expected, but we just have to continue to move forward,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “Today was a huge win for us.”

With New York ahead 4-3, Nimmo hit a two-run homer off Anthony Bender in a three-run ninth that included Brett Baty’s RBI single.

“I was just looking for a good pitch in the middle of the plate to drive,” Nimmo said. “I was able to hit that ball — good launch angle — and hit it hard. Found its way out of the ballpark.”

Nimmo returned to the lineup Saturday after missing two games because of a stomach illness.

“I’m coming around,” Nimmo said. “It’s been a little bit of a journey the last three days to get over the sickness. Right now, I’m just trying to get some appetite back. I’m definitely not at 100%. Just trying to battle through it and glad that I was able to help out there at the end and solidify the win.”

Dane Myers hit a two-run homer in the second, and Christian Bethancourt had a solo drive in the seventh against DIekman.

Sixto Sánchez (0-2) allowed four runs and six hits in four innings. He gave up Taylor’s two-out double in the first and Bader’s single.

“He was obviously better second through the fourth inning but he put us in a hole early,” Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said. “At this level it’s hard to come back from four runs every single time. He’s not giving his teammates a chance to win.”

Miami recalled right-handed reliever Emmanuel Ramirez from Jacksonville and optioned right-handed reliever Anthony Maldonado to the Triple-A farm team.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Mets: DH J.D. Martinez (flu symptoms) didn’t play but was available to pinch hit. Mendoza said Martinez played through the illness the prior two days.

Marlins: INF Tim Anderson (lower back tightness) homered and had three singles in five at-bats during a rehab game with Jacksonville on Saturday, then went 0 for 4 with a walk on Sunday.

UP NEXT

Mets: RHP Tylor Megill (0-1, 2.25) will start the opener of a three-game series at Cleveland on Monday. RHP Ben Lively (2-2, 3.06) will start for the Guardians.

Marlins: LHP Ryan Weathers (2-4, 3.81) is scheduled to start the opener of a three-game home series against Milwaukee on Monday. The Brewers will go with RHP Joe Ross (2-4, 4.61).

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

New York Mets' Sean Manaea delivers a pitch during the first inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Sunday, May 19, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

New York Mets' Brandon Nimmo (9) and Francisco Lindor (12) congratulate each other after they scored on a double by Tyrone Taylor, during the first inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins Sunday, May 19, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

New York Mets center fielder Harrison Bader is unable to catch a ball hit by Miami Marlins' Josh Bell for a double, during the first inning of a baseball game, Sunday, May 19, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Miami Marlins third base Emmanuel Rivera, right, tags out New York Mets' Harrison Bader as he slides into third base during the fourth inning of a baseball game, Sunday, May 19, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

New York Mets center fielder Harrison Bader (44) catches a ball hit by Miami Marlins' Josh Bell as both he and left fielder Tyrone Taylor (15) vie for the ball during the fifth inning of a baseball game, Sunday, May 19, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

New York Mets relief pitcher Reed Garrett, right, and catcher Omar Narvaez celebrate after the Mets beat the Miami Marlins 7-3, during a baseball game, Sunday, May 19, 2024, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)