The trajectory of European politics in 2024 frequently generated the appearance of progress without achieving much concrete change. Whether elections resulted in parliamentary deadlock, as in France, or a big majority for a single party, as in the U.K., they rarely led to swift strategic successes.
How the European Union and the U.K. overcome such political paralysis to meet pressing internal challenges and guard against external threats—whether from Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping or U.S. President-elect Donald Trump once he takes office in January—will be the dominant theme of European politics in 2025.
French President Emmanuel Macron’s shock move in June 2024 to call snap parliamentary elections was a bid to reaffirm his centrist movement’s grip on the legislative body. Instead, it led to parliamentary paralysis, with the left, center and far right each holding a more or less equal number of seats.