Rise of right-wing populism in EU warned

European Parliament Vice President Katarina Barley on Saturday warned against the rise of anti-democratic movements in Europe, reported dpa.

"Democracy and the rule of law can no longer be taken for granted in the European Union," Barley said on Saturday at a party conference for Germany’s Social Democrats (SPD) in Berlin. She is an SPD member.

"We see a similar development in Poland," she said. Democratic rights were also being curtailed in Italy, she added.

The European Commission, she noted, was in danger of tilting to the right.

"If we don't succeed in installing the European Parliament as a counterweight, then we will have a completely right-wing to right-wing populist European Union. Then there will be no corrective left," Barley said.

The election next June is therefore crucial for the future of Europe, she said.

"We need a progressive majority in this European Parliament, we need a strong social democracy to be able to implement progressive, liberal, people-friendly, solidarity-based policies in this European Union," Barley stated.