2009-06-08 03:05:52
Centre-right parties have done well in elections to the European Parliament at
the expense of the left.
Far-right and anti-immigrant parties also made gains, as turnout figures
plunged to 43% - the lowest since direct elections began 30 years ago.
The UK Labour Party, Germany's Social Democrats and France's Socialist Party
were heading for historic defeats.
The centre-right European People's Party (EPP) looks set to continue to hold
power in the parliament.
Jose Manuel Barroso, who seems set for a second term as European Commission
president following the centre-right success, thanked voters and assured them
their voices would be heard.
FALLING TURNOUT
"Overall, the results are an undeniable victory for those parties and
candidates that support the European project and want to see the European Union
delivering policy responses to their everyday concerns," he said.
Socialist leader Martin Schulz said his group's defeat would be analysed.
"It's a sad evening for social democracy in Europe. We are particularly
disappointed, [it is] a bitter evening for us," he said.
Vice-president of the European Commission Margot Wallstrom said the low turnout
was a "bad result".
Government defeats
Fringe groups appear to have benefited, with far-right and anti-immigrant
parties picking up seats in the Netherlands, Austria, Denmark, Slovakia and
Hungary. The British National Party won two seats - its first ever in a
nationwide election.
Sweden's Pirate Party, which wants to legalise internet file sharing, won 7% of
the national vote and one of the country's 18 seats in the European Parliament.
Several governments battling the economic downturn are facing a heavy defeat,
says the BBC's Oana Lungescu in Brussels.
However, governing parties in France and Germany appear to have done relatively
well despite the crisis. In results so far:
greens from the Europe-Ecologie party also made gains
but finished ahead of its rivals. The Social Democrats, Ms Merkel's partners in
the grand coalition, saw their worst election showing since World War II
of the socialist opposition, with around 35% of the vote
lowest share of the vote for a century
Party, according to partial results
expense of the Eurosceptic Law and Justice Party
percentage points, losing out mainly to Greens and far-left parties
Voters have been choosing representatives mainly from their own national
parties, many of which then join EU-wide groupings with similarly-minded
parties from other countries.
HAVE YOUR SAY Hopefully a new parliament will do more to connect with the
European electorate Erling, Denmark
The centre-right EPP retains its place as the largest grouping for the last
five years, securing an estimated 267 seats out of 736 (down from the previous
785). The centre-left PES is on 159, while the liberal ALDE has an estimated
81.
Provisional figures released by the EU suggested turnout was at an all-time low
in some countries, including France (40.5%) and Germany (43.3%).
Lowest turnout was seen in Slovakia (19.6%) and Lithuania (20.9%), while the
highest figures came from Luxembourg (91%) and and Belgium (85.9%) - both
countries where voting is compulsory.
Overall turnout has fallen at each European election in the last 30 years, from
a high of nearly 62% in 1979.