Netherlands kicks off four-day European Parliament election
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[June 06, 2024]
By Jan Strupczewski
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Voting began in the Netherlands on Thursday at the
start of a four-day election across the European Union to a new European
Parliament that will face mounting security, industrial and political
challenges.
Voting to the EU legislature will be held in Ireland and the Czech
Republic on Friday, Malta, Slovakia and Latvia on Saturday, and in the
rest of the 27 EU countries on Sunday.
The Dutch vote encapsulates the EU's main internal political challenge -
the rising popularity of euro-sceptic and nationalist far-right parties
that want to dismantle the EU for within.
External challenges facing the EU included industrial competition from
China and the United States, a security threat from Russia and the
existential threat of climate change.
Opinion polls showed the Dutch anti-immigration Freedom Party (PVV) of
nationalist Geert Wilders was set to make gains, tying with the Labour/GreenLeft
combination. Both were projected to win eight seats in the European
Parliament.
Wilders failed to secure a seat in the previous European election in
2019 and although the polls show Europe's centre-right is likely to win
the most seats in the new EU legislature, far-right parties are expected
to make gains.
The 720-seat parliament co-decides with national governments on laws
that govern the bloc's single market of 450 million people, its
1-trillion-euro ($1.09 trillion) long-term budget, fiscal rules and laws
to prevent climate change.
First projections of results are expected after 2100 GMT on Sunday,
following exit polls soon after 1800 GMT.
European Greens, facing a farmer and industry backlash against costly EU
policies limiting CO2 emissions, look set to be among the big losers.
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![](../images/060624PIX/news_p30.jpg)
A person votes in the European Union's parliamentary elections, in
Nijmegen, Netherlands, June 6, 2024. REUTERS/Piroschka van de Wouw
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Polls show pro-European parties on the centre-right and centre-left,
liberals and Greens will have a smaller majority than in the
outgoing parliament, complicating efforts to push through new EU
laws or increase EU integration.
FIVE-YEAR TERM
The new parliament's term will end in 2029. It will decide on the
EU's next seven-year budget, which must be in place from 2028, with
Ukraine, Moldova and countries of the Western Balkans seeking
membership.
If those countries are to accede, EU governments and the parliament
will need to agree on internal changes to how the bloc operates,
including its agriculture subsidies and funds to even up living
standards across the EU.
The rule of unanimity in voting may also need changing to meet the
requirements of a larger bloc.
The composition of the new parliament will also be the starting
point for the choice of the new head of the European Union executive
body, the European Commission, which has the sole right to propose
new EU laws.
Polls show Europe's centre-right is likely to win the most seats in
parliament. This puts their candidate, current European Commission
President Ursula von der Leyen of Germany, in pole position to be
appointed for a second term.
($1 = 0.9195 euros)
(Reporting by Jan Strupczewski, Editing by Timothy Heritage)
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