While attention has focused on gains made by far-right and centrist parties in the European Parliament elections, this term’s intake includes an assorted – and often contrasting – mix of lawmakers. They include a social media influencer, a racing driver, and a former Italian army general. Here are a few to watch:

Germany

‘Will we leave things to the fascists?’: the activist aiming to revive Germany’s far-left party

Carola Rackete, Die Linke (the Left)

Sailor, activist and conservation scientist Carola Rackete, 35, is one of the most prominent new faces of the Left to sit on the European Parliament’s benches.

Rackete spent much of her early adulthood staffing research voyages to the Antarctic and protesting deforestation, but she came to political prominence captaining the Sea-Watch 3, defying Italy’s then-interior minister, Matteo Salvini, by rescuing Libyan refugees from drowning in the Mediterranean and landing them at Lampedusa.

That landed her briefly under house arrest and earned her the ire of rightwing politicians even as it made her a hero for many on the left, leading to her being chosen as the joint lead candidate of Germany’s Left party for the European election.

Although she is best known for rescue work, Rackete says she wants to focus in parliament on environmental and climate issues, including climate adaptation in nature.

Cyprus

Fidias Panayiotou, 24, YouTube prankster

Fidias Panayiotou speaks during celebrations in Nicosia after his election: he is in his 20s and wears a grey T-shirt, white shorts and white trainers; he is standing on a platform in a public square with one arm raised, holding a microphone and addressing a crowd of media reporters and supporters — Fidias Panayiotou said his election was ‘a shock’ and ‘a miracle’. Photograph: Yiannis Kourtoglou/Reuters

A popular YouTuber and TikToker, Panayiotou has stunned the political establishment in the island nation by taking one of the country’s six MEP seats, snatching 19.4% of the vote.

He describes himself as a “professional mistake-maker” and admits he knows little about politics or the parliament, but has tens of millions of subscribers to his videos such as “I travelled to India with only $10”.

“It was a shock what happened, a miracle,” he told the state broadcaster CyBC. “The parties should take it as a warning that they must modernise and listen to the people.”

Italy

Roberto Vannacci, the League

Roberto Vannacci addresses a political rally in Rome; the League symbol and slogans can be seen behind him. He looks animated as he speaks; he is in his mid-50s and has short, neat dark hair, and wears an open-necked pale blue shirt. — Roberto Vannacci campaigned for Matteo Salvini’s League with the slogan More Italy! Less Europe. Photograph: Andrea Calandra/NurPhoto/Rex/Shutterstock

Vannacci is an Italian army general who last year published a book disparaging LGBTQ+ people, migrants, minorities and feminists, to widespread criticism.

His ideas drew outrage from many quarters but they resonated with the leader of the far-right League, Matteo Salvini, who signed him up to be a top candidate for his party. Now Vannacci is on his way to Brussels.

In his best-selling book, Vannacci questioned whether people of colour could ever be Italian, even if they were born in the country, and defended a person’s right “to hate”.

A 55-year-old former paratroop commander, Vannacci was a military attaché at Italy’s embassy in Moscow. He is under investigation for embezzlement during his time in Russia, something he denies. He has also been suspended from the military, accused of discrediting the army with his book.

Czech Republic

Filip Turek, Motorists Alliance

Close-up head and shoulders photo of Filip Turek: he has short, brushed-back blond hair and a square jaw, and wears a dark jacket, white shirt and red tie; it is dark and people are seen in the background taking photos or filming him on their phones — Filip Turek’s Motorists party, in partnership with the Oath movement, won two seats in its first participation in the European elections. Photograph: Michal Krumphanzl/CTK/Alamy

A former racing driver, Filip Turek is part of a Eurosceptic group not represented in the Czech parliament that says it defends the rights of drivers against EU climate policies. It formed a coalition with the protest party Oath, together coming third in the EU election in the country with a 10.3% share of the vote.

Turek, 38, has seen his popularity grow through social networks with his “petrolhead” image and calls to reshape Europe.

But police have also been investigating pictures from some years ago in which he used the Nazi salute, and other activities possibly suggesting sympathy for the Nazis. He has not been charged and has brushed off the accusations as misunderstanding of a past bad taste in humour.

Spain

Teresa Ribera. Socialist party

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Teresa Ribera applauds as her party celebrates their election victories; other women are seen behind her, also clapping. She is in her mid-50s and has shoulder-length fair hair; she is smiling widely and wears a pale cream top and white cotton jacket — Teresa Ribera has led an ambitious green agenda for Spain’s Socialist party since 2018. Photograph: Violeta Santos Moura/Reuters

The energetic and outspoken Spanish energy minister, Teresa Ribera, will lead the contingent of 20 MEPs the Socialist party retained after opinion polls initially indicated the ruling party was heading towards a severe defeat.

The technocratic Ribera, 55, has held the ministry’s job for six years and is already influential in Brussels where she has been a proponent of the bloc’s energy market reform.

In Spain, she has shepherded an ambitious green agenda since 2018, championing a harder, faster transition to a zero-carbon economy.

Ribera is also highly likely to be Spain’s pick for a European commissioner with the environment portfolio – in which case, she will not be taking up her seat.

Poland

Grzegorz Braun , Confederation

Grzegorz Braun delivers a speech at the Confederation's election headquarters in Warsaw. He is — Grzegorz Braun has described Jewish Hanukah celebrations as ‘satanic’. Photograph: Piotr Nowak/EPA

Grzegorz Braun, of the Polish far-right Confederation party, caused international outrage in December when he took a fire extinguisher from a wall in the lobby of the parliament to put out candles lit as part of Hanukah celebrations.

Afterwards, he took to the podium in the chamber, describing the Jewish holiday as “satanic” and saying he was restoring “normality”.

Braun, 57, had already gained notoriety with stunts such as dumping a Christmas tree decorated in the colours of the European Union and Ukraine in the bin, and damaging a microphone during a talk by a Holocaust historian.

Alvise Perez: he is speaking into a microphone while standing in front of a wall and fence; he is in his mid-30s but looks younger, with wavy dark hair and a thick black beard; he is dressed casually in a light green T-shirt and grey sports top — Alvise Perez wants to build the largest prison in Europe. Photograph: Raúl Caro Cadenas/EPA

Spain

Alvise Perez, The Party is Over

The 34-year-old from Seville, who once worked for the Liberal Democrats in the UK, has shocked the Spanish establishment by becoming an MEP for a party that has no electoral programme, rails against immigrants, and wants to build the largest prison in Europe.

“Even a person who has a gang tattoo: you’re going to fucking jail. If we have to put 40,000 guys in there, we will put them in there … And if the UN shows up, I’ll laugh in their face,” he was reported to have said in El País.

Perez, who promised to renounce his salary as an MEP if he elected, won almost 800,000 votes and has almost 1 million followers on Instagram despite having very little profile in traditional media.

Another one of his specialties is harassing the press, says the Spanish newspaper. He points out journalists so that his followers can attack them on social media.

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