European elections at a glance

Swinging from far-left to far-right, the triumph of eurosceptics in the European Elections has left Brussels reeling. Elsewhere the picture is somewhat different.Germany remains firmly under the control of Chancellor Angela Merkel and her Christian Democrats who came out on top.

In Italy, the democratic party of Prime Minister Matteo Renzi scooped up a whopping 41% putting them well ahead of the Five Star Movement of humourist turned politician Beppe Grillo.

Grillo’s eurosceptic party won over one-in-five electors and relegated the Forza Italia party of former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi to third position.

Over in Spain, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy’s Popular Party will have eight fewer seats despite being the overall winner, they have lost ground to smaller parties like the socialist workers’ party of Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba. The party started by the anti-austerity protest group, Indignados going by the name Podemos will take five seats.

Austerity weary Portugal which only recently exited its bailout gave the largest nod to the Socialists, though the result was marked by a turnout of just 37%. However, Slovakia topped all records of voter apathy with a turnout of just 13%.

In Hungary the ruling Fidesz party had a landslide victory with 51%, though the far-right Jobbik party will get three seats.