Politics this week

At elections for the European Parliament, a predicted surge by populists and nationalists failed to materialise, though such parties gained seats in Italy and Britain. The new parliament will be much more fragmented than the old one, thanks to a strong showing by green and liberal parties. The traditional main groupings, the centre-right European People’s Party and the centre-left Socialists and Democrats, both lost ground, falling well below a combined majority of the chamber for the first time. See article.