Polls close in the Netherlands in EU elections

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00:00Chris Mackler speaking to us from Jerusalem.

00:03After the elections in India, the EU elections

00:05are the second biggest exercise in democracy

00:08in the whole world.

00:09Close to 400 million people in 27 member states

00:12have the chance to elect 720 MEPs.

00:15Well, it's a process that spans four days.

00:17This weekend, people in most EU nations, including France,

00:20will cast their ballots.

00:21But today, the voting process kicked off

00:23with people across the Netherlands

00:24heading to the polls.

00:25Well, let's speak now to France 24's Fernand Van Terts, who

00:28joins us from Utrecht.

00:30Great to speak to you, Fernand.

00:31Polls closed, what, at 9 PM local time.

00:35How did the voting process go?

00:39So the current estimates suggest that the Labour green left

00:44list came out on top with 8 of the 31 seats

00:48that the Netherlands has to send to the European Parliament.

00:51Being filled by them, Geert Wilders

00:53of the Party for Freedom, who, of course,

00:55had this monster win back in November in national elections

00:59and was projected to do very well here,

01:01has done well, but not as well as he had hoped.

01:04He is coming in with seven seats,

01:06it is projected, by this exit poll.

01:09And so this was very much a campaign

01:11that was pitted as being between these two parties,

01:13a very pro-European vision and a vision that

01:16said that Europe needs to tone it down,

01:19needs to level down its efforts.

01:23I mean, Geert Wilders was someone

01:24who was always against the European Union,

01:26who was always in favor of a nexit.

01:28He's changed that stance, maybe also with an eye

01:31of joining the coalition here.

01:33But it seems that that message has not worked out

01:35as well as he wants.

01:36I was on the campaign trail with him yesterday.

01:38Voters seemed unconvinced by that.

01:40They still do not like the European Union.

01:42And it seems that they did not turn out for him

01:44in the numbers that he had hoped.

01:45Also, the person leading his list for the European elections

01:49did very little campaigning.

01:50Only twice was he in the media.

01:52People didn't really know him.

01:54But really, a very strong signal here

01:56that many of the people in the Netherlands

01:58voted pro-European rather than turning their backs on Europe

02:01here today.

02:03OK, it sounds like there's quite a lot going on around you

02:05there, Fernand.

02:06Just tell us where you are and what's being said.

02:12So I'm at the Labour-Left alliance,

02:16where now the person leading that alliance

02:18is entering the stage behind me, Frans Timmermans.

02:21He led this party to a huge victory back in 2019.

02:25And now they're coming out on top again.

02:27It's the first time that they're joining their list together

02:31in Europe.

02:31And actually, as soon as they get to Brussels,

02:33their paths will diverge.

02:34Because the Green-Left party is part of the Greens.

02:37Bas Eyckert, their leader, is actually

02:39a leading candidate for the Greens Europe-wide.

02:43And the Labour party is part of the Socialists.

02:45So once they get to Europe, their paths will diverge.

02:47But together, they have won this win here today.

02:49And of course, Geert Wilders, he will

02:51be looking at the identity and democracy group, which

02:54of course, Marine Le Pen is also a part of.

02:56He will be taking his seats there.

02:58But I think a strong message from the Netherlands,

03:00if you look at what is projected to be the outcome here,

03:03that most people wanted to show that they're, in fact,

03:05favouring Europe, rather than turning their backs on it.

03:08OK, well, enjoy the rest of the evening

03:11in what looks like quite a fun environment.

03:13Fernand van Tetz in Utrecht, thank you very much indeed

03:15for bringing us all the latest there.

03:17Well, do stay tuned to France 24.

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