Investors in Europe wait anxiously for the results of a series of elections in leading countries as populist parties grow in popularity This is the question on the lips of many investment strategists and market commentators as election fever grips Europe’s vulnerable single currency area, with crucial presidential and parliamentary ballots in at least three of the five largest economies in the euro zone. The unexpected decision by Britain to vote to leave the European Union and the upset victory of Donald Trump in the United States presidential election have emboldened populist and nationalist parties across Europe, doing wonders for their transformation from extremist groups to mainstream parties.