FILE - From left, lead candidates for the European Parliament elections, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, for the European People's Party and Nicolas Schmit, for the Party of European Socialists take part in a debate at the European Parliament in Brussels, on May 23, 2024. It seemed like a throwaway line by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, yet it encapsulated what is at stake for many in this week's European Union parliamentary elections — What to do with the hard right? And should it be trusted? (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)