The process of electing a new European Parliament began on June 4 2009 as British and Dutch voters were invited to the polls in elections expected to produce reverses – more in the UK than in the Netherlands – for the ruling parties in both countries.
 
The outcome of the vote in the Netherlands was expected to be among the first to become clear, with exit polls scheduled to be released soon after voting ends at 9pm local time. Overall, the rules for European Parliament elections are that results from all countries should be held back until the last of the 27 EU member states completes voting on June 7.
 
In the Netherlands, opinion surveys suggested that prime minister Jan Peter Balkenende’s Christian Democrats would get 14 per cent and the Partij van de Arbeid, the ruling coalition partner, 12 per cent.
 
A television debate among major parties on the night before voting in the Netherlands saw sentiments against Eastern European countries such as Bulgaria, Romania and Poland as a key theme, suggesting that there are some grounds for believing that predictions that Geert Wilders’ Party of Freedom will get 12 per cent – or four seats in the European Parliament, according to some polls – could prove correct. Wilders’ far-right party has a platform that resists Islamic influence in Europe, is anti-immigration and wants Bulgaria and Romania booted out of the EU.
 
In the UK, a consistent trend in polls of late has been that Gordon Brown’s Labour Party is set for a thrashing, with surveys saying that it will come in behind David Cameron’s Tories and the Lib-Dems, while all eyes will be on the performances of right-wing and euro sceptic parties the British National Party and the UK Independence Party. Apart from voters in the UK voting in EP elections, local elections are also being held in England and Wales, where Labour is also said to be in for a drubbing.
 
Recent polls indicated that voter turnout in the UK might be higher than previously expected. Earlier predictions were that turnout would be low, but it may be that an electorate irked by the expenses controversy that has wracked UK politics and brought down a number of senior politicians in the political establishment may drive voters to go to ballot booths to signal their anger.
 
Communities secretary Hazel Blears resigned from the UK cabinet on June 3, a day after home secretary Jacqui Smith said that she was stepping down. Chancellor of the exchequer Alistair Darling – Britain’s finance minister – has also been dragged into the scandal but, while apologising, has said that he would not resign.
 
Brown has said that he will not resign, but pressure against him is mounting, reportedly also from within his own party.
 
Ireland will vote on June 5. Latvia, Cyprus, Malta, Slovakia, Italy and the Czech republic will vote on Saturday. The remaining 18 countries, including Bulgaria, will choose their MEPs on June 7.
 
The new 736-member European Parliament is scheduled to hold its first sitting in July.