Tens of millions of people were voting across Europe on Sunday in pivotal elections expected to shift the European Union's parliament to the right amid increased nationalism, populism and politically motivated violence.
Polls suggest the EU's center-right ruling coalition will maintain its majority but will lose seats to populist and far-right parties, including those that lead governments in Italy, Hungary and Slovakia, according to the Associated Press.
"Right is good," hardline Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán told reporters after casting his ballot. "To go right is always good. Go right!"
Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, whose country holds the EU's rotating presidency until the end of the month, warned that Europe was "at a crossroads" and "more under pressure than ever" after voting in the Flanders region.
Major issues facing voters who will elect 720 members to the European Parliament in Brussels include Russia's war against Ukraine, immigration and the cost of efforts to stem climate change.
The parliament plans to issue an EU-wide exit poll around 6:30 p.m. GMT, or 2:30 p.m. ET in the U.S., and the first provisional result after voting ends in Italy at 9 p.m. GMT, or 5 p.m. ET, according to Reuters.
The four-day voting period began Thursday in the Netherlands, with other countries in the 27-nation bloc opening their polls on Friday, Saturday or Sunday, when the bulk of ballots are expected to be cast.
The youth vote could be crucial to the results, with 16-year-olds voting for the first time in Germany and Belgium, which this year joined Austria and Malta in allowing teens that young to cast ballots, according to the BBC.
There are an estimated 1.4 million 16- and 17-year-olds eligible to vote in Germany. The far-right Alternative for Germany party has claimed success in attracting young males through online campaigns on TikTok and other social media websites, the BBC reported.
