Centre-left parties take hammering across region

Whether in power or in opposition, the centre-left fared poorly in the European election. In spite of the economic crisis and failure of laisser faire capitalism, it has struggled to articulate an alternative response as such centre-right leaders as Nicolas Sarkozy in France or Angela Merkel in Germany have moved into their territory by pledging tighter regulation and more state control. In Germany, the Social Democratic party, junior partner in the "grand coalition" of Ms Merkel, chancellor, scored 20.8 per cent, its worst result in any national ballot since the end of the second world war. France's Socialist party, the main opposition, slumped to a historic defeat despite the economic crisis and low popularity ratings of Mr Sarkozy, president. The party won only 16.5 per cent, its worst European election result for 30 years, apart from the disaster in 1994. In Italy, the centre-left Democrats had such low expectations that they came close to rejoicing at their 26.1 per cent share of the vote, well adrift of the People of Liberty party, headed by Silvio Berlusconi, prime minister, on 35.3 per cent. In the Nordic region, traditionally a leftwing stronghold, social democrats failed to make headway against centre-right governments that are perceived as having performed adroitly in the global financial crisis. The centre-left did poorly in Finland, and although it led in Sweden and Denmark it was not by enough to give it confidence for the next national polls.

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