And that’s three. After the Netherlands, polls open in the Czech Republic and Ireland for 12 million voters

Brussels–European elections are proceeding apace in the Union, with two more member countries opening the polls today (June 7) to some 12 million voters. Following the Netherlands, which kicked off the 2024 round of elections yesterday (June 6), the Czech Republic and Ireland are following suit for the choice of 35 more members (out of 720) of the European Parliament in the 10th legislature. And in Ireland, the vote will also have national value since it will run parallel to administrative ones.

While the Netherlands is analyzing the exit poll after the end of voting, and in Italy, everything is ready on the eve of the vote (scheduled for June 8-9), the Irish and Czech parties will compete for 14 and 21 seats, respectively, in the European Parliament. In Ireland, the polls predict a head-to-head contest between the center-right Fine Gael party of the new Taoiseach (head of government), Simon Harris, and the left-wing opposition Sinn Féin party (leading at 25 percent). The 3.4 million voters will determine the composition of the Irish delegations to the EU Parliament and the distribution of the 949 city and county council seats.

As far as the Czech Republic is concerned, the opposition party of former Premier Andrej Babiš, Ano 2011 (Action of Dissatisfied Citizens) – which the polls give at 32 percent of the votes – seems to have an easy time, while the center-right Spolu coalition currently in government led by the Civic Democratic Party (Ods) of Prime Minister Petr Fiala could stop at 24 percent. The 8.5 million Czech voters will be decisive, especially in defining the political strength of the liberal-conservative-oriented populist party within the European Alde (Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe) family, since with its potential 7/8 elected MEPs could threaten to leave the Renew Europe group in the EU Parliament after the European elections, in controversy with the French of Renaissance over migration policy.