Europe expected to move right in EU elections amid voter anger over illegal immigration, crime, economy

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LONDON – European right-wing populists are poised to deliver a blunt warning to mainstream political parties as they are predicted to make dramatic gains in the European Parliament elections starting on Thursday.

Voters in the 27 countries of the European Union (EU) are expected toelect the historical first right-leaningmajority in the European Parliament for the next five years, in a sign of frustration with traditional political parties perceived to have failed to address the rampant migrant crisis and economic challenges facing the continent.

"It's a reflection, a frustration with what is happening in Europe," Alan Mendoza, the executive director of the London-based Henry Jackson Society, told Fox News Digital. "People are turning to the parties who have answers on this basis and who are standing up for these issues as far as some voters see it and saying that that's where they're going to cast their votes."

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Polls show populists are favored to receive a third of votes across the bloc, with hard-right political parties expected to finish on top in Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Poland and Slovakia, while making substantial gains in other member states, according to the European Council on Foreign Relations polling projections.

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