Until June 9

Netherlands has opened several days of European elections

The European elections began on Thursday morning with the opening of polling stations in the Netherlands. Voters in the country have been called upon to cast their votes for the new members of the European Parliament since 7.30 am.

The first projections for the Netherlands will be published after the polling stations close at 9 pm. Results for the entire EU are not expected until Sunday evening, when the polls close in Austria and the other EU countries.

Election day in Austria on June 9
After the Netherlands, people in Ireland and the Czech Republic are called to vote on Friday. Voting continues on Saturday in the Czech Republic, and there will also be elections in Italy, Latvia, Slovakia, Malta and the French overseas territories. In Austria, as in most other EU countries, election day is on Sunday.

About the EU elections

The European Parliament has 705 members since the UK left the EU. Following the elections in the 27 member states, the parliament is set to grow to 720 seats. Elections are based on national lists. Each country has a fixed number of MEPs, depending on the size of its population.

Austria will receive 20 seats, one more than before. Around 370 million people across Europe are called upon to cast their vote.

In the Dutch polls, the Party for Freedom (PVV) of right-wing populist Geert Wilders is in the lead. It is not only there that a shift to the right is expected across Europe.