(VOVworld) – Political earthquakes could be in store for Europe in 2015, according to research by the Economist Intelligence Unit. The research indicates that the rising populist parties could win some elections and force mainstream parties to form alliances with them.

The rise of populist parties is tipped to cause shock waves across the European Union.

The EIU says Europe’s “crisis of democracy” is caused by a gap between the elites and voters, with a decreasing number of voters and members of mainstream parties. According to the Economist magazine’s researchers, the United Kingdom – going to the polls in May – is “on the cusp of a potentially prolonged period of political instability,” and the most immediate political challenge is in Greece, where a snap general election takes place next Sunday. Other examples of European elections with potential unpredictable results cited by the EIU include polls in Denmark, Finland, Spain, France, Sweden, Germany and Ireland.