The European voting process commences in the Netherlands as polling locations open.
The Netherlands' preliminary voting results are set to come out following the 9 PM closure of polling stations. The expected date for the entire EU's results is Sunday evening when Germany and other EU member countries finish voting.
Following the Netherlands, Ireland and Czech Republic will have their people participate in elections on Friday. The Czech Republic will have further voting on Saturday, the same for Italy, Latvia, Slovakia, Malta, and French territories overseas. Sunday is slated as the election day for Germany and most other EU nations.
Currently, the European Parliament has 705 representatives, and after the elections in the 27 countries, this number is forecasted to increase to 720 seats. The number of seats per country is set based on the population size, with Germany having the highest with 96. Estimated voters worldwide amount to around 370 million people.
For the Berlin traffic light coalition headed by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD), the election acts as a touchstone before regional elections in eastern Germany and the general polls in 2025. Pollsters envision a decline for the SPD, Greens, and FDP. Simultaneously, the CDU/CSU and AfD are predicted to make strides. Additionally, a conservative shift is forecasted at the EU level.
