Netherlands starts European election process
In the Netherlands, we'll see the initial forecasts come out when polling stations shut at 9 PM. We're anticipating all EU results by Sunday night, once the voting stations in Germany and other EU nations have closed.
Over 13 million Dutch folks plus people from Ireland and the Czech Republic received the call to vote on Friday. Meanwhile, in the Czech Republic and some EU countries like Italy, Latvia, Slovakia, Malta, and French territories, the voting will continue on Saturday. In most other EU countries, people head to the polling stations on Sunday the 9th.
The European Parliament starts with 705 members, but it's expected to expand to a seating capacity of 720 after this year's elections in its 27 member states. Each country gets a set number of reps, based on their population. Germany has the highest number of reps (96). There are around 360 million people across Europe who'll be voicing their preference at the ballot box.
For the Berlin traffic light coalition led by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD), the election is more like a gut check before East Germany's local elections and Germany's federal elections in 2025. Polls predict a dip for the SPD, Greens, and FDP, and a boost for the CDU/CSU and the AfD. There's also some speculation of a shift towards the right on the European stage.
Researchers project far-right parties may top the leaderboard in the huge member states of France and Italy. The National Rally (RN) of Marine Le Pen could emerge as the most powerful faction in France. The Party of Brothers of Italy (FdI) of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni could also see a surge.
It remains a mystery how the far-right factions in the European Parliament will restructure following the elections. While Meloni and Le Pen have talked about teaming up, they're still a long way from controlling a majority in the parliament. Despite this, the European People's Party (EPP) with CDU and CSU is expected to reign supreme, with EPP candidate and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen aiming for a five-year extension at the mighty Brussels institution's top post.
