On February 27, the European Union’s ninth parliament passed the Nature Restoration Law, committing member states to restoring at least 20 percent of “degraded” marine and terrestrial ecosystems by 2030. The law passed by 329–275 votes (with twenty-four abstentions), reflecting Europe’s ideological balance of power over the previous five years: mostly centrist, with a soft spot for the environment.
That soft spot just hardened. Europeans have elected a new parliament and, as expected, far-right politicians posted dramatic gains. They now occupy almost a quarter of the tenth parliament’s 720 seats: not enough to run the show, but sufficient to block any legislation they’re against—like the Nature Restoration Law.
