The EU elections|Europe votes

Spaniards miss the EU election - the beach beckons in Greece

Voter turnout in Spain looks set to be significantly lower than five years ago. At 2 p.m., 28 percent of Spaniards had voted in the European elections, which is seven percentage points lower than at the same time in 2019.

The Spanish newspaper El País points out that Spain also held regional elections on election day five years ago, which may have boosted turnout.

Greece also fears a weak voter turnout. Several surveys during the election week indicate that the country is heading for a record low voter turnout, writes Euractiv. The country has also been hit by a heat wave, which may cause many Greeks to choose the beach instead of the polling station.

.....................................

The world's most powerful woman has voted: "Let's make Europe stronger"

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has voted in her home town of Burgdorf in Germany.

"Let us show the power of our democracy. Let's make Europe, our common home, stronger than ever," writes von der Leyen on X.

Ursula von der Leyen has been named the world's most powerful woman by Forbes two years in a row. But with the expected success of the far right, it is unclear whether she will be re-elected for another term in the heavy post of chairman. Then she must secure 361 votes from 720 members of the EU Parliament and win support from a qualified majority of Europe's leaders, writes Politico.

............................................

The EU's "worst" voting country is heading towards record turnout

Several EU countries seem to be moving towards a stronger turnout than in 2019. While France and Latvia report a slightly larger percentage this year, it looks like a clearly stronger turnout in Slovakia.

According to Euronews, participation is expected to land at around 33 percent, which is low in comparison with other countries but a Slovakian record. At the last election, just under 23 percent of voters in the country went and voted - the worst in the entire EU.

It is seen as an indication that interest in Eastern Europe may be greater than before.
...........................................

Soaps inspire in spurts - cooking and arguing on TV

Reality soaps have inspired the run-up to the elections both here and elsewhere in Europe. In Belgium, political rivals have turned their backs on "The Bachelor" and holed up in a medieval castle for a weekend to see if they can put their differences aside and find a way to unite the divided country. The politicians in the TV series "The Conclave" go for walks, cook and argue, writes The New York Times.

At one point, far-right separatist party Vlaams Belang party leader Tom Van Grieken sits alone by a fireplace late at night. Bart De Wever, party leader of Flanders' second major separatist party, NV-A, steps out and notes that everyone else seems to have gone to bed.

- They don't want to spend time with us, Bart. Your destiny is that you always end up with me in the end, Van Grieken replies.

In Malta, the centre-left Labor party has in turn taken inspiration from "Big brother". Before the EU elections, the party's nine candidates were locked up in a hotel room for a weekend, something that was then broadcast to TV viewers. Why? To show the more human side of the candidates.
Vlaams Belang party leader Tom Van Grieken. 2019.

........................................

Will Belgium be without a government again after the super election day?

The already divided Belgium today not only elects members of the European Parliament, but also takes the opportunity to hold national and regional elections. And the super election day can be followed by a rather messy time when power alliances have to be nailed down, writes Politico.

The country already holds the world record for being without a government. After the 2010 election, it took 541 days to get one together. The fact that the far-right separatist party Vlaams Belang is expected to become the largest in Flanders does not seem to make it easier to form a government - no party wants to cooperate with them.

The only party that has not completely closed the door to the party is Flanders' second major separatist party, NV-A. At the same time, Bart De Wever, party leader of the NV-A, has recently downplayed the demand for Flanders to become independent from Wallonia. After casting his vote on Sunday, he tells Belgium's De Morgen that he has no plans to form a government with Vlaams Belang.

- I will never contribute to the total disaster. Our country is in bad shape and we will be punished by Europe, he says.