2017 was a remarkable year in various aspects, during which we saw an increasing unpredictability worldwide. In the European Union, and from a political standpoint, it was a year of strong emotions. In Germany, Angela Merkel was re-elected for a fourth term but her party (CDU) lost considerable support, recording its worst result since 1949.
The most structural change, however, began with the far-right party entering the German Bundestag, which won 94 seats for the AfD party, thus becoming Germany’s third-strongest political force. This is the first time in the history of post-war Germany that a clearly far-right party has a seat in Parliament. And it happened in what was the first federal election held since the Government led by Angela Merkel opened its doors to migrants and refugees in 2015, allowing over one million people to enter the country.
Confirming the resurgence of nationalism and of the far-right in Europe, in the Netherlands, the antiIslam, anti-immigration and anti-EU party led by Geert Wilders (PVV) won 20 seats in Parliament, eight more than it previously had. Today, it is the second-largest party, even though it failed to reach its goal of becoming the largest Dutch parliamentary force. In 2017, the opposite note came from France, with Emmanuel Macron’s overwhelming victory in the second round of the presidential election, against Marine Le Pen – 66.1% against 33.9%.
A victory that was immediately repeated in the parliamentary elections, with Macron’s newly-formed party winning a majority from voters clearly supporting the new French President’s reforming, pro-European and inclusive vision. In Portugal, the crisis in neighbouring Catalonia, which today is politically fractured, was followed closely. A slowdown in the Spanish economy is expected which will, should it occur, affect Portugal given the country’s weight as an important destination for Portuguese exports (approximately 25% of total exports).
Sigue leyendo la Memoria Anual 2017 aquí
