EU elections: Irish, Czechs go to polls for European Parliament vote

• Voters in Ireland and the Czech Republic go to the polls for EU parliamentary elections
• The Netherlands voted on Thursday and other countries are set to vote over the weekend

06/07/2024June 7, 2024

When are EU countries scheduled to vote in the parliamentary election?

The Netherlands kicked off the EU parliamentary vote on Thursday, with exit polls indicating a strong result for the far-right Freedom Party (PVV).

Forecasters have predicted a surge in support for far-right parties across the bloc.

Most of the EU's 27 members, including Germany, will vote on Sunday.

Around 370 million people are eligible to vote in the election this week.

Italy, Latvia, Malta and Slovakia will start voting on Saturday, with Italy's vote to stretch over to Sunday.

06/07/2024June 7, 2024

Czechs and Irish to begin voting in EU election

Voters in Ireland and the Czech Republic go to the polls on Friday in the second day of elections for the European Parliament.

Irish voters will choose their 14 of the 705 members of the parliament while Czech voters determine their 21 members of the European Parliament.

Ireland's left-wing opposition party Sinn Fein wants to use the Friday vote to shore up support ahead of a national election expected to be held late this year. 

"Vote Sinn Feinn on Friday as the first step towards a change of government," Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

"It's time for new people with new solutions and new ideas at local government and European level. Change starts here," she said.

The Czech Republic's ANO centrist opposition party is polling at 23.1%, narrowly ahead of government parties, according to the Czech polling agency STEM.

STEM analyst Martin Kratochvil told the German DPA news agency that the forecast reflected typically low Czech turnout in EU elections.

sdi/sms (AP, AFP, DPA, Reuters)