While Americans continue to focus on their contentious election cycle, the European Union was thrown into chaos on Sunday after a series of right-wing victories. As RedState reported, numerous "nationalist" parties (a descriptor used derogatorily by the press) gained seats in the EU Parliament, marking a dramatic shift away from the socialist ruling class. 

Things were so bad in France that Emmanuel Macron, the nation's president, dissolved the parliament and called for a snap election, recognizing that his coalition had been completely rebuffed. The situation wasn't much better for the left wing in Germany, where the Alternatives for Germany Party (AfD) made gains and the center-right Christian Democrats came out the victors on the night. 

For the in-power Social Democrats, it was an absolute disaster, with some press outlets calling it a "humiliating" and "crushing blow." Garnering just 16 percent of the vote, the left-wing party ended up with its worst total in a national election in over a century. Things are so bad that some are predicting the entire government coalition could collapse. 

Other right-wing parties, including those from Italy, Belgium, and Spain, also saw gains, leaving one thing certain: Europeans are starting the long, hard march back from the abyss. 

SEE: More EU Election Fallout-Belgium's Prime Minister Abruptly Resigns

To be sure, long-term changes won't come easily. A civilization can only dig the hole so deep before it becomes increasingly unlikely they can escape it. For decades, Europe has participated in a form of attempted continental suicide regarding its economic and immigration policies. 

Tens of millions of Muslim "refugees" flooded into various European nations with little or no oversight, and they didn't come to get jobs and assimilate. While it'd be unfair to paint with too broad of a brush, many came to enact sweeping and damaging cultural changes, whether that was their original intent or not. The Islamist strategy has long been to seize power by outlasting and outgrowing its opposition. In the meantime, they operate as a protected class due to the far left's oppression ideology, committing crimes and creating so-called "no-go zones."

For many years, most Europeans were too afraid to react to what was happening around them. They had been indoctrinated since birth to believe that admitting some cultures are superior to others (i.e. Western liberalism vs. Islamic barbarism) equaled bigotry. Finally, though, they are waking up to the destruction of their once-safe communities and way of life.

It's not just immigration that is driving a rightward shift in Europe, though. Rather it's an overarching sense that radical elites are benefiting while normal people are left languishing. The European Union has become a dumping ground for pompous imbeciles who think it is their birthright to "save" the world. All they've done is cause its misery, though, whether we are talking about the self-destructive obsession with "climate change" or the never-ending encroachment of the state on basic liberties. 

You can only push people so far. What that line is will always be a moving target, but for the moment, it feels like Europe has reached it. These latest election results, as well as some in the recent past, show its citizens are ready for change. Still, the question remains. Did Europe go too far down the rabbit hole to find its way out?