Summary of the day
Elections to the world’s only directly elected transnational assembly got under way in earnest as Dutch voters went to the polls in the first of a four-day, 27-country ballot that will return 720 MEPs to the next European parliament.
The German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, has told parliament he backs the deportation of violent foreign-born criminals even if they come from Syria or Afghanistan, as he signalled a more hardline stance three days before Germans vote in European elections.
Reinhold Lopatka, lead candidate for the Austrian People’s party in the European election, told the Guardian that the issues of illegal migration, inflation and the war in Ukraine are dominating the campaign.
Lopatka also criticised the far-right Freedom party, saying: “They are the voice of Putin here in Austria.”
Anna Stürgkh, a candidate for Austria’s liberal NEOS party, said that “from 25ish onwards, it is definitely the Russian war on Ukraine that is a hot topic and that people want to talk about.”
She also said that “especially amongst the younger voters, the whole Gaza conflict is actually also really important to them and they want to talk about that as well.”
Andreas Schieder, lead candidate for Austria’s Social Democratic party in the European elections, said “the overall main issue, of course, of this European election is the threat of a victory of the extreme right.” He highlighted his call for investment in European industry and a social Europe.
Markéta Gregorová, a member of the European parliament representing the Czech Pirates, said a lot of voters have been asking “what do you bring to the table” and that “in the bigger cities, I got so many people approaching me regarding disinformation.”
A new wave of EU language versions of Pravda, the Russian network, have started springing up all over Europe in what counter-disinformation experts say looks like an attempt to “convey large amounts of disinformation and pro-Russia propaganda” as EU voters go to the polls.
The American ambassador in Budapest, David Pressman, criticised the Hungarian government’s friendly links to Russia – and the Hungarian foreign minister Péter Szijjártó’s latest trip to Saint Petersburg.
Updated
European commissioner Thierry Breton has shared an election playlist.
EU elections have started! 🇪🇺🗳️
— Thierry Breton (@ThierryBreton) June 6, 2024
My top 3 advice:
1. Go vote
2. Check out this playlist: https://t.co/neSGPllXAH
3. Vote#UseYourVote #Playlist pic.twitter.com/uSStPxtkek
Politicians across the continent are trying to encourage people to show up to vote.
Lovely hurling. Vote Fianna Fáil tomorrow 🗳️ pic.twitter.com/j6YpObRKrJ
— Micheál Martin (@MichealMartinTD) June 6, 2024
Far-right French politician Marion Maréchal is trying to convince voters who are trying to decide between Reconquête and National Rally, telling them that Jordan Bardella will surely be elected – and that it’s between giving someone lower-down on his list a shot or helping her pass the threshold.
À ceux qui hésiteraient avec le RN, n’oubliez pas que le seuil de qualification aux européennes est à 5% : M. Bardella est déjà sûr d’être élu.
— Marion Maréchal (@MarionMarechal) June 6, 2024
Préférez-vous élire le 31ème inconnu de sa liste ou que je sois aussi votre avocate au Parlement ? #JeVoteReconquete pic.twitter.com/C6vpLkOlzt
Updated
Disinformation latest
A new wave of EU language versions of Pravda, the Russian network, have started springing up all over Europe in what counter-disinformation experts say looks like an attempt to “convey large amounts of disinformation and pro-Russia propaganda” as EU voters go to the polls.
Versions of this new Pravda website have been detected in English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Greek, Polish, Dutch, Bulgarian, Danish, Czech, Estonian, Romanian, Croatian, Finnish, Portuguese, Swedish, Hungarian, Slovak, Lithuanian, Latvian, Irish and Slovenian, says the independent European Digital Media Observatory (EDMO).
The Irish language website, which is unlikely to be of mass interest because so few people in Ireland communicate in Irish, includes genuine news such as today’s ECB interest rate cut but also pro-Russia stories about Ukraine.
“In addition to propaganda, the websites are also used to spread demonstrably false news and disinformation stories. The new English version of the website, for example, spread the false story that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy had bought a luxury casino hotel in the Turkish-occupied area of Cyprus, which was proven false by local fact-checking organisations that are part of the EDMO network,” EDMO said today.
EDMO points out that not all Pravda sites are part of this network - some are legitimate services bringing independent news about Ukraine or such as pravda.org.pl which is part of the EDMO fact-checking network.
Updated
Turnout in the Netherlands at 15%
Ipsos I&O found that turnout in the Netherlands at 1:45pm was at 15 percent, NOS reported.
This rate is slightly higher than turnout during the same time in the last election.
We asked Markéta Gregorová, a member of the European parliament and candidate representing the Czech Pirates, what she’s been hearing from voters on the campaign trail.
“I would say it rather depends on the region,” she said. “But overall, a lot of people come to me, maybe not with directly a specific topic, but with a question of, what do you bring to the table? Why should I vote for you? So that’s the most common question that I get.”
“In the bigger cities, I got so many people approaching me regarding disinformation,” she said, adding:
They really wanted to know, what are we going to do about it?
First of all, they know – or some of them know – that I work on this topic, so I guess that’s also why they ask me. But I also think it’s because in the Czech Republic, there has been a lot of promises from the government regarding disinformation, but nothing happened.
So logically, people are disappointed and afraid because Czech Republic also is neighbouring Slovakia. And to be really honest, the current situation in Slovakia with the shooting of the prime minister and his win in the elections, people in Czechia are afraid we will go the same path, so they care about disinformation.
The Green Deal is also coming up in conversations, she said.
The third thing that I would mention, and that’s maybe more in the poorer regions, so to say, that we are being asked, is anything regarding the Green Deal. I feel like a lot of politicians used it as a threat here in Czechia instead of an opportunity.
And so people are more or less asking, ‘will this affect my life? will I be poorer because of it? Or why are you, you know, disbanding the cars with the combustion engine, etc?’
Spotlight: the European election in the Czech Republic
On Friday and Saturday, Czechs will go to the poll to elect 21 members of the European parliament.
ANO, the party led by populist former prime minister Andrej Babiš, is far ahead in opinion polls.
The conservative Civic Democratic Party (ODS) of the current prime minister, Petr Fiala, is in second place, followed by the Czech Pirate party.
Controversial Irish candidate enlists celebrity endorsements
Clare Daly, Ireland’s controversial MEP, has enlisted celebrity endorsements from Annie Lennox, Susan Sarandon and other prominent figures in a battle to keep her Dublin seat.
The left-wing independent is an outspoken critic of Ursula von der Leyen and western “militarism” and has been accused of giving succour to Vladimir Putin and other dictators, which she denies.
On Wednesday, Daly posted an endorsement from Lennox, the Eurythmics singer. “If you want truth to be spoken to power with no holds barred, Clare Daly is the one and only. Vote for Clare!” the post said.
Last week Sarandon, the Thelma and Louise star, posted a video endorsing Daly and Mick Wallace, an equally outspoken MEP who represents Ireland South. The actor urged Irish voters to keep them in the European parliament. “Please don’t lose that voice in Europe, I beg of you.”
Both MEPs have been feted by state-leaning media in China, Russia and Venezuela. Pollsters predict Wallace will lose his seat and that Daly will struggle to retain hers.
'Use it if you want a strong Europe': Ursula von der Leyen urges people to vote
Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president and centre-right lead candidate, posted a video urging people to vote for the European People’s party.
Why should you vote?
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen_epp) June 6, 2024
It’s simple.
And I explain it in 30 seconds ⏱️ pic.twitter.com/Qwf5J8BM4f
Some Dutch voters are casting their ballots with penguins looking on.
Hungary's government stands with 'Putin’s party of war', US ambassador says
The American ambassador in Budapest, David Pressman, has criticised the Hungarian government’s friendly links to Russia – and the Hungarian foreign minister Péter Szijjártó’s latest trip to Saint Petersburg.
“Hungary’s government says it is the ‘party of peace’ while continuing to stand with Putin’s party of war,” Pressman said.
“Hungary’s addiction to Russian energy is dangerous and unnecessary,” he said.
Pressman added: “Minister Szijjártó is right: energy diversification is not a matter of ideology but one of physics. The laws of physics in Hungary are no different than the laws of physics in every single one of Hungary’s EU partners, all of whom have chosen to reduce dependence on Putin.”
The American diplomat’s critique comes at a time when Hungary’s ruling Fidesz party has centred its European election campaign around conspiracies that the west wants to pursue a direct conflict with Russia and force Hungarians to die in Ukraine.
Last weekend, the Hungarian prime minister, Viktor Orbán, spoke at a rally for “peace” where he claimed that Europe is preparing for war and that his political forces will stop this in the election.
Hungary's Foreign Minister makes his 8th trip to Russia since Putin's invasion of Ukraine. Hungary's government says it is the "party of peace" while continuing to stand with Putin's party of war. Hungary’s addiction to Russian energy is dangerous and unnecessary. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/6Phl4gMa8X
— Ambassador David Pressman (@USAmbHungary) June 6, 2024
Scholz signals tougher stance on deporting foreign-born criminals
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz told parliament he backed deporting violent foreign-born criminals even if they came from war-ravaged Syria or Afghanistan, after an Afghan asylum seeker allegedly killed a police officer.
Accused by the conservative opposition and the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) during a heated debate of a lax position on deportations, Scholz signalled a tougher stance three days before Germans vote in European elections.
“Let me be clear: it outrages me when someone who has sought protection here in our country commits the most serious crimes,” he told MPs. “Such criminals should be deported, even if they come from Syria and Afghanistan.”
The 25-year-old Afghan suspect allegedly fatally stabbed a 29-year-old police officer who was trying to stop him from committing an attack ahead of a right-wing political rally in the south-western city of Mannheim. Scholz attributed the crime, which has dominated headlines, to “radical Islamism”.
The suspect arrived in Germany as a teenager in 2013 and although his claim for asylum was rejected, was not deported initially due to his young age.
Germany stopped carrying out deportations to Afghanistan in 2021 after the Taliban returned to power. It has determined the precarious security situation in Syria would prohibit sending people back there.
The country is on edge about security as it prepares to host the Euro 2024 men’s football championship, with massive crowds expected at stadiums and public viewing venues across Germany.
Scholz in his speech called for designating zones for bans on weapons -- including knives -- “particularly in hotspots and at major events”.
Updated
As Europe goes to the polls, we will be reporting on disinformation.
We will rely on the work of hundreds of fact-checkers feeding into the the European Digital Media Observatory, the world’s biggest counter-information service and Elections24 Check, a hub of 40 fact checking organisations around Europe including many media.
Rapid alert units are also running across the EU with election commissions also on high alert for any foreign interference.
EDMO says it has seen the highest level of disinformation ever in the last year.
Among them are false claims running in social media in Germany that marking a cross that runs outside the circle provided for the vote on the ballot paper invalidates the vote.
Experts working close to the rapid alert units all around the EU say that they are seeing everything from voter suppression attempts in Italy (with videos resurfaced from previous elections) to fear mongering in Poland with claims that Ukrainian refugees have the right to vote.
Morning turnout in the Netherlands at 7%: report
Turnout in the Netherlands stood at 7% at 10:30am, according to Ipsos, NOS reported.
This is in line with turnout during the time in the previous election.
Updated
Invest in European industry and social Europe, Austrian Social Democrat says
We spoke with Andreas Schieder, lead candidate for Austria’s Social Democratic party in the European elections, about the campaign.
“The overall main issue, of course, of this European election is the threat of a victory of the extreme right,” he said in a phone interview today.
He highlighted the issue of “the cost of living crisis,” pointing to high inflation in Austria. “And then I would say the issues are, of course, security policy, the war in Ukraine and Austrian security policy - neutrality – and then for sure, climate change, Green Deal, but mixed also with industry.”
Schieder also noted that in Austria “at the moment, there is a big debate on the nature restoration law.”
“And then, not to forget it, of course, migration is also an issue,” he said, adding that his position is that “we need European solutions on this issue, and we have now the migration pact.”
He also outlined the Social Democrats’ priorities, focusing on investing in European industrial production and a social Europe.
I made a concept called Europe first, instead of made in China. This was trying to focus on industrial production in Europe and to ramp it up and to become more independent … So we need more investment in our future, meaning also in industry and in production, in green projects, saying we need solar panels on our roofs, but not imported from China, but to produce them in Europe and to put it on our European roofs.
He added:
Secondly, social Europe: defending what we achieved, for minimum age, platform workers, pay transparency, working time limitations for truck drivers, but also asking for abolishing unpaid internships, and also having something like Erasmus for the elderly, and fair taxation.
“The Dutch have a fundamental choice to make between a strong or a divided Europe,” the Greens’ Bas Eickhout said as voting began in the Netherlands this morning.
Voting in the Netherlands has started. Last poll gives the Green-S&D alliance 8 seats, just like Geert Wilders’ PVV. The Dutch have a fundamental choice to make between a strong or a divided Europe. Exit poll at 21hrs tonight! https://t.co/MgRCBbeovw
— Bas Eickhout (@BasEickhout) June 6, 2024
Two wars 'overshadowing' election, Austrian NEOS candidate says
We asked Anna Stürgkh, a candidate for Austria’s liberal NEOS party, what issues voters are bringing up the most.
“Migration is definitely the one that is talked about the most,” she said.
“And then, on the other hand, the war is overshadowing everything,” she said.
Stürgkh noted that “from 25ish onwards, it is definitely the Russian war on Ukraine that is a hot topic and that people want to talk about.”
“Interestingly, especially amongst the younger voters, the whole Gaza conflict is actually also really important to them and they want to talk about that as well,” she said.
“So when you go to schools – we’re in schools a lot – and actually they ask about kind of what the European role in this conflict should be, almost as much as the Russian war, so both these conflicts are very much overshadowing the election, I would say.”
'The voice of Putin': Austrian far-right campaign fuels controversy
Austria’s far-right Freedom party has controversially campaigned with posters portraying Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, and the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, embracing, with the slogan: “Stop EU madness.”
“It is like Peskov, when he has press conferences,” said Reinhold Lopatka, lead candidate for the Austrian People’s party, referring to Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.
“They are the voice of Putin here in Austria,” he said of the Freedom party.
Four parties in Austria have a “very clear position in favour of Ukraine” and “one party – very strong on the side of Russia,” he said.
The Freedom party’s lead candidate has been contacted for comment.
Far-right 'live from the problem', Austrian People's party candidate says
Reinhold Lopatka, lead candidate for the Austrian People’s party in the European election, told the Guardian that the issues of illegal migration, inflation and the war in Ukraine are dominating the campaign.
In a phone interview, Lopatka said that climate change has gotten less attention this time around. “It is still on the agenda, but it’s not topic number one, not number two, not number three – it is maybe number four or five.”
“This is the biggest difference to the last campaign. The last campaign was in a time when Fridays for Future reached the top of attention,” he said.
Asked about the Austrian public discussion’s focus on migration, Lopatka said:
The problem is that you have, each week, criminal cases like the stabbing of this policeman in Mannheim – and Austria is always in the media coverage very close to Germany.
If something is in Germany, it always reaches Austria. So all this with AfD, this far-right wing party, and all these discussions of remigration and all this, one or two days later we have the same discussion here in Vienna.”
The far-right, Lopatka said, has “simple answers” and the discussion on migration is “very emotional, not rational.”
The EU’s new migration and asylum pact is the “right step, in the right direction, a right move. But it took too much time, and now we have to do everything to fasten up, to not only to have the legal framework, but to use it for concrete actions,” he said.
He added:
This is the way how we try to keep voters on our side. Say, ‘yes, we have a problem. It’s a big problem, but we are working for a solution.’
And it is always my saying, the far-right wing parties, they don’t want the solution. They live from the problem. They get their support through the problem, so they are not interested in solving the problem. This is the big difference.
Spotlight: the European election in Austria
On Sunday, Austrians will vote to elect 20 members of the European parliament.
The far-right Freedom party is leading in opinion polls with around 29%.
It is followed by the Social Democratic party with about 22% and the Austrian People’s party with approximately 20%. NEOS is at about 10%.
‘Mostly, they don’t vote’: Dutch far-right support in European elections depends on turnout
On Wednesday afternoon, hours before Dutch polling stations opened, the far-right firebrand Geert Wilders – whose anti-Islam Freedom party (PVV) shocked Europe by finishing first in elections last November – was campaigning in The Hague’s market.
Surrounded by a mob of reporters seeking interviews and people demanding selfies, Wilders urged his supporters to vote, saying the election was “about asylum and national sovereignty. The coming days are crucial for the future of Europe.”
His remarks marked a departure from his usual anti-EU rhetoric. PVV has long called for a “Nexit” referendum on Dutch membership of the bloc, but had to drop that – and other – pledges in its recent agreement to form the next coalition government.
In the latest polls for the Netherlands’ 31 MEPs, PVV is predicted to go from one seat to eight, neck and neck with the Green-Left-Labour alliance led by the former commission vice-president Frans Timmermans, who is campaigning for a “free, sustainable, safe and democratic EU”.
Sermin Civi, 35, who came to the Netherlands from Turkey at one year old, was one of the crowd taking a selfie with Wilders, whom she said she admired for his anti-immigrant rhetoric.
“What he says is true,” she said, “although he says it hard. It’s not about Moroccans and Turks who live here, but refugees. We work hard and we can’t even find a house. As he says, the country is full.”
Read the full story here, by Senay Boztas and Jon Henley.
Voting gets under way in the Netherlands
Dutch voters are casting their ballots in the European election today.
Welcome to the EU elections blog
Good morning and welcome back to the blog.
It’s the first day of the European elections, with Dutch voters going to the polls.
We will be delving into the latest in the Netherlands, and also looking at campaigns around the continent.
Stay tuned and send your comments to lili.bayer@theguardian.com.
