That's significantly lower than the 71 seats the Greens/EFA secured when the green faction enjoyed its strongest ever showing five years ago. Nationalist and far-right parties — traditionally skeptical of climate issues — have also been vocal critics of green policies. Bas Eickhout Lead candidate for the Green PartyBas Eickhout, lead candidate for the Green Party, said that support for the far-right parties across the bloc could jeopardize Europe's progress on climate action. Green Deal 'cannot go back'Ahead of the vote, researchers warned that the outcome of the European elections was likely to put significant pressure on the European Green Deal, the region's showcase carbon neutrality program. Which means [the] Green Deal cannot go back, but we are prepared to give it this additional twist, which is a Green Deal, but taking care of the transitions," Marques told CNBC's Silvia Amaro.

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Persons: Emmanuel Macron, —, we're, Eickhout, CNBC's Silvia Amaro, Ricarda Lang, Grünen, Terry Reintke, Omid, Reintke, Pedro Marques, Marques, Jorg Asmussen, Asmussen, CNBC's Annette Weisbach, John Macdougall Organizations: Afp, Getty, European Free Alliance, Greens, EFA, Democracy, European Union, European Conservatives, Social Democrats, Free Democrats, French, Union, Nationalist, Bas Eickhout, Green Party, Green, Green Deal, Socialist, Democrats Group, German Insurance Association Locations: The Hague, Germany, Austria, France, Bas, China, United States, Europe, European, Berlin's Columbiahalle, Denmark, Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, Croatia, Latvia, Slovenia, Lithuania, EU, den Linden, Berlin