VOTERS ACROSS EUROPE HEAD TO POLLS IN CRUCIAL EU ELECTIONS

Sun 09 June 2024:

Polling stations have opened in 20 European countries for elections anticipated to shift the European Parliament to the right, potentially reshaping the future of the EU, the world’s largest trading bloc.

Key issues influencing voters include the war in Ukraine, climate policies affecting farmers, and migration concerns, from Portugal to Austria, Poland, and Cyprus. These elections mark the conclusion of a four-day voting period that started in the Netherlands. Official results will be announced after all polling stations close, with early estimates expected on Sunday.

Around 360 million people are invited to polling booths around Europe from June 6-9 to vote. It’s the 10th parliamentary election in the history of the European Union. But how is the EU Parliament actually formed? And what do its MEPs do? Here’s everything you need to know. pic.twitter.com/SDGWAUAE5G

— ARTE in English (@ARTEen) June 8, 2024

An exit poll suggests significant gains for Geert Wilders’ anti-migrant party in the Netherlands, though a pro-European coalition might push it to second place. This trend could complicate legislative processes in the EU.

Since 2019, populist or far-right parties have gained leadership in Hungary, Slovakia, and Italy, and are part of ruling coalitions in Sweden, Finland, and potentially the Netherlands. They are also gaining traction in France, Belgium, Austria, and Italy.

“Right is good,” Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who leads a stridently nationalist and anti-migrant government, told reporters after casting his ballot. “To go right is always good. Go right!”

Among the most watched questions is whether the Brothers of Italy — the governing party of populist far-right Prime Minister Georgia Meloni, which has neo-fascist roots — stays in the more hard-line European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR), or becomes part of a new hard right group that could be created in the wake of the elections. Meloni also has the option to work with the EPP.

The elections occur amid challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic, an economic downturn, and an energy crisis due to the largest European land conflict since WWII. The results will influence the formation of political groups, alliances, and the appointment of key EU positions, including the presidency of the European Commission.

While mainstream and pro-European parties are expected to maintain a majority, the hard right may increase its seats. The center-right European People’s Party (EPP) is focusing on security, tougher migration laws, and business priorities. Key decisions will depend on alliances and the stance of parties like Italy’s Brothers of Italy and Hungary’s Fidesz. The outcome will determine the direction of the EU’s legislation and leadership.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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