Voting for the new European Parliament started today in the Netherlands, paving the way for the 4-day election process throughout Europe.
The elections are expected to strengthen the positions of the extreme right, while the new parliament will face more challenges from the political, industrial, and security aspects.
About 400 million voters will elect the 720 new legislators of the European Parliament.
Their outcome will have a significant impact on a range of issues from global policy on climate change, to defense and immigration, and geopolitical relations with China and the United States.
In Estonia, voters will be able to vote for 6 days in a row, in the process that started on Monday, but the Netherlands is the only country in the European Union that holds elections in a single day.
On Friday, voting will take place in Ireland, on Saturday in Malta, Slovakia, and Latvia, and in all other countries of the European Union, on Sunday.
The results are expected to be out on Sunday evening.
The Dutch election comes six months after Geert Wilders’ far-right Freedom Party became the largest party in the Dutch parliament. Like many other parties throughout the European bloc, it seeks to strengthen positions in the European Parliament to weaken European institutions from within.
“You have to have a stronger presence in the European Parliament and make sure that, if necessary, we can change the European guidelines so that we can decide our own immigration and asylum policies,” Mr Wilders said after the vote. in the Hague.
Mr. Wilders failed to secure a seat in the last European Parliament elections in 2019. Although polls show that the center-right in Europe is expected to win the majority of seats in the new European legislature, far-right parties are expected to score more victories.
The positions of Mr. Wilders, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and French opposition leader Marine Le Pen stand in stark contrast to most left and center parties, which advocate a more united Europe approach on everything from climate change to defense measures, arguing that if a country stands alone it will have a weaker voice on the world stage.
Polls show that pro-European center-left and right-wing parties and liberals will have a smaller majority than the current European Parliament, complicating efforts to push through new European laws and European enlargement.
The new parliament’s term will end in 2029. It will decide on the next seven-year EU budget, which is due to come into effect in 2028, as Ukraine, Moldova, and the Western Balkans seek EU membership.
