Voting process - Netherlands election: Close battle between political parties in Europe
The up-coming European election in the Netherlands shows a tight contest between the progressive coalition and the far-right populist party, Geert Wilders, predicts the preliminary forecast. The progressive alliance, consisting of the social democrats and the Green Party, is projected to secure eight out of the 31 seats. On the other hand, the anti-EU and anti-Islam Freedom Party (PVV) led by Wilders is expected to win seven seats.
Once deemed as a long-shot candidate, the PVV had attracted attention with its anti-Islam stand five years ago and managed to enter the European Parliament with a single representative. Since then, the party has increased its support and currently governs in alliance with three other right-wing factions.
Around 360 million European citizens across the 28 EU member states can cast their votes for the 720 parliamentarians. After the Netherlands, Ireland and the Czech Republic, the voters in countries including Italy, Latvia, Malta, and Slovakia will take part in the coming days. The majority of the votes will be cast this Sunday. Additionally, for the first time, 16-year-olds in Germany can participate in a European election.
E-voting unique-ness in Estonia
Estonians were able to cast their ballots electronically from May 26th onwards - using any computer or smartphone. The option to revoke their votes is also available till Saturday. Unlike the nights, traditional paper balloting is the only choice on the day of the election, Sunday.
The initial forecasts for the Netherlands are set to be out at 9:00 pm tonight. Per the polls, the right-wing party for Freedom (PVV) led by populist Geert Wilders is anticipated to lead the race, followed by the red-green coalition. Five years ago, PVV occupied only one seat in Brussels-based parliament.
In a shock victory in November, Wilders seized control, promising to govern with three other right-wing parties. Initially, he insisted on "Nexit," the Dutch exit from the EU, but later shifted to "draining the EU from within," as expressed in mid-April.
German Predictions
The most recent polls in Germany point to a clear-cut victory for the CDU and CSU. AfD ranks second, followed by the SPD and the Greens.
The European Parliament wields considerable influence on new EU legislations and the distribution of funds, such as the EU's billion-euro agricultural subsidy. Many of these laws are jointly decided by the EU states and must garner a majority in the Council of Ministers - where government officials from the respective nations deliberate.
The parliament can impact the composition of the EU Commission. The commissioners are first nominated by the EU heads of state and government. However, there's a caveat: the parliament can veto the chosen candidate. The current leader of the German EU Commission, Ursula von der Leyen (CDU), is widely seen as the frontrunner.
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- Geert Wilders' PVV, a far-right populist party from the Netherlands, has been gaining momentum in the European election discourse, predicted to win seven seats in the Netherlands.
- The upcoming European elections in Estonia allow citizens to cast their votes electronically until Saturday, with traditional paper balloting available on the election day on Sunday.
- Italy, along with several other EU countries like Latvia, Malta, and Slovakia, will hold their European elections in the coming days, following the Netherlands and Ireland.
- Ursula von der Leyen, the current leader of the German EU Commission from the CDU, is viewed as the front-runner for the position, with the EU Parliament having the power to veto the chosen candidate.
- In an unexpected turn of events, Geert Wilders' PVV secured a single seat in the European Parliament five years ago due to its anti-Islam stance and has since managed to increase its support with the backing of three other right-wing factions.
- The political landscape of Europe is reflective of the Netherlands election, with a fierce contest between progressive parties and right-wing populist groups, such as the PVV, which could impact how EU laws are decided in the Council of Ministers.
- In the Netherlands, the eighth-seat forecast for the progressive coalition, comprising the social democrats and the Green Party, is indicative of the tight contest against the far-right PVV.
- The European Parliament plays a significant role in shaping new EU legislations and the distribution of funds, such as the EU's billion-euro agricultural subsidy, which is jointly decided among EU states with majority approval from the Council of Ministers.
- The right-wing party for Freedom (PVV) led by Geert Wilders is favored to win the European elections in the Netherlands, according to early forecasts, in a significant turnaround from five years ago when the party only had a single representative in the Brussels-based parliament.
- The Dutch general election parliamentary election results and European elections are set to shape the political landscape of the EU, with important consequences for countries like Ireland and the Czech Republic, which will hold their elections shortly afterwards.
