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| Exit poll results for Germany are displayed on a screen at the Plenary Hall |
Following are early predictions of the results of the election to the European Parliament based on exit polls. Over 400 million people can vote in 28 countries, seven of which held ballots between Thursday and Saturday, with the remainder voting on Sunday (times CET):
1810 – NETHERLANDS – ALDE+R TAKES THE LEAD
The Progressive Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe and Renaissance (ALDE+R) are expected to win six out of the Netherlands’ 26 seats in the EU Parliament, according to an exit poll. The European Conservatives and Reformists group (ECR) and the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) follow with five seats each. The European People’s Party (EPP) is expected to win four and the Greens three. The Confederal Group of the European United Left and Nordic Green Left (GUE/NGL), the Europe of Nations and Freedom (ENF) and one other are all projected to win one seat each.
1810 – MALTA – S&D TAKES THE LEAD OVER EPP
The S&D are projected to win four of Malta’s six seats in the EU Parliament and the EPP two.
1810 – IRELAND – GUE/NGL TIED WITH EPP FOR SEATS
Both the GUE/NGL and EPP parties are estimated to win four seats respectively out of Ireland’s 11 seats in the EU Parliament, according to an exit poll. The Greens are projected to win two seats and ALDE+R one.
1810 – GERMANY – GREENS POLLING SECOND
Chancellor Angela Merkel’s governing coalition, the CDU/CSU, is projected to win 28 of Germany’s 96 seats for the EPP in the EU Parliament, according to an exit poll. The Greens are projected to come in second with 23 seats, followed by S&D with 16 seats, EFDD with 10, ALDE+R with eight, GUE/NGL with five seats, three non-attached members and three others.
1810 – AUSTRIA – EPP TO BE THE BIGGEST PARTY
The EPP is projected to win seven of Austria’s 18 seats in the EU Parliament, according to an exit poll, followed by S&D with five, ENF with three seats, the Greens with two and ALDE+R with one.
1810 – CYPRUS – DEMOCRATIC RALLY LEADS
The Cypriot Democratic Rally is projected to win 38.5% of the votes for EU Parliament, followed by the Progressive Alliance of Working People at 26% and the Democratic Party at 11.9%, according to an exit poll. Two of the six EU Parliament seats Cyprus has would go to the GUE/NGL party, two to S&D and two to the EPP.
1815 – GERMANY – MERKEL’S PARTY KEEPS LEAD, GREENS FOLLOW IN EXIT POLL
Merkel’s CDU/CSU won 28% of votes in the EU election, followed by the Greens at 22% and the Social Democrats at 15.5%, according to an exit poll.
1805 – GREECE – OPPOSITION CONSERVATIVES LEAD IN TV STATIONS’ EXIT POLL
The Greek opposition conservatives New Democracy took the lead over the ruling leftist Syriza party in the EU elections, according to a joint exit poll by five private TV stations. New Democracy had 36-32 percent of the vote and Syriza, the party of Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, had 29-25 percent, according to the poll.
1745 – AUSTRIA – KURZ’S PARTY LEADS IN POLLS-BASED PROJECTION
A polls-based projection showed the party of Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz leading in the EU election Sunday, the day before he faces a no-confidence motion. The projection found support for Kurz’s party, the conservative People’s Party, at 34.5%, followed by the Social Democrats at 23.5% and the far-right Freedom Party at 17.5%.
1715 – TURNOUT UP IN MOST COUNTRIES
Voter turnout was up from 2014 levels in many EU countries, including Germany and France. As of 1000 GMT, about 29% of Germans had voted, up from 26% in 2014. In France, turnout as of 1700 was up by about 8 percentage points at 43.29%. Turnout in Spain also rose by some 10 percentage points and it had already doubled in Poland as of 1000.
