Many EU leaders were undoubtedly relieved when the result of the Romanian presidential election was announced on the night of May 18. Nicusor Dan, who had campaigned on a platform of pro-Western stability, defeated the firebrand populist and Eurosceptic George Simion. Indeed, Dan achieved a stunning reversal, after heavily losing the first round. But Simion still won more than five million votes, or around 46 percent, which highlighted a deep fracture in Romanian society.  

Poland, which holds the second round of its presidential election on June 1, is similarly fractured. The hard-right Law and Justice party, well known for its run-ins with Brussels when it was in power, made a strong showing in the first round, with its preferred candidate Karol Nawrocki coming in only slightly behind the frontrunner, Rafal Trzaskowski. 

We look at the appeal of these anti-establishment forces in the former communist eastern bloc countries, with our panel of MEPs. (None of the MEPs from the “sovereigntist” camp that we contacted was available to take part.)