Voting to elect representatives in the European parliament is currently underway in the Czech Republic, Latvia, Malta and Slovakia.
This came as Saturday, June 8, 2024, marked the third day of voting in the European elections.
For Czech Republic, polls were open for a second day on Saturday.
The fourth and final day of voting on Sunday, June 9, 2024, will be the biggest, with citizens in 20 of the 27-member bloc, including voters in Germany, France and Poland, heading to the polls.
Final results for the 720-seat European Parliament are not expected until Sunday night when every country has voted.
Seats are allocated based on population, ranging from six in Malta or Luxembourg to 96 in Germany.
Almost 370 million Europeans are eligible to vote to send representatives to the only directly elected EU institution which has the power to block legislation.
Slovakia is casting its votes under the shadow of an assassination attempt on populist Prime Minister, Robert Fico.
Fico, who was shot and seriously injured in May, cast his vote at a hospital in Bratislava.
Fico wrote on social media, “I voted in the hospital because these elections are also important.”
“It is necessary to vote for MEPs who will support peace initiatives and not the continuation of war,” he added.
“Consent of western countries given to Ukraine to use western weapons to attack targets on Russian territory is just a proof that big western democracies do not want peace, but an escalation of tensions with the Russian Federation, which will surely happen.
“As a Prime Minister of the Slovak Republic, I will not drag Slovakia into any similar military adventures and within our small Slovak possibilities, I will do everything possible so that peace gets priority over war.”
Robert Fico
Also, at 3pm on Saturday, voters in Italy will begin casting their ballots in over two days to fill a considerable 76 European parliamentary seats which could help shape its future direction.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and her far-right Brothers of Italy are expected to be the big winners, gaining over coalition partners such as the anti-migrant League and the centre-right Forza Italia.
Her backing could affect whether Ursula von der Leyen earns a second term at the helm of the European Commission, with a potential alliance looming.
Meloni has also been courted by French far-right leader, Marine Le Pen in the hopes of creating a far-right alliance.
Leila Simona Talani, Director of the Centre for Italian Politics at King’s College London, told a news agency that anti-immigration policies are a considerable driver of the far-right in the elections, but not the only one.
“One of the reasons is the war in Ukraine and there is a lot of polarisation among parties on whether or not we should continue this effort to support Ukraine,” she said.
She added, “My impression is not that the whole European Parliament is moving to the right. I don’t even think the majority will move to the right, but they are getting more votes.”
A Crucial Stage Of European Family Development
In a social media post, Ruslan Stefanchuk, Chair of Ukraine’s parliament, called the election “a crucial stage in the development of the common European family.”
“The votes of our European friends who will participate in these elections will determine the fate of the world’s most successful unification project,” he said.
He expressed hope that the elections will become another stage of cohesion for the European Union and a model of responsibility for the common future.
“I sincerely believe that as a result, the European parliament will be led by responsible political forces that will be able to make it even stronger, safer and more comfortable for everyone. Not populists who seek to destroy the EU and create a shameful copy of the USSR 2.0 on its territory.”
Ruslan Stefanchuk
“I sincerely hope that Ukraine will soon return to its common European home, for whose democratic values and principles it is paying a terrible price today,” he added.
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