Closing summary
We’re pausing our live coverage of the European elections for the day, here’s a round-up of the day’s main developments:
Italy became the first heavyweight nation to cast votes for the EU’s next parliament, in a test of far-right leader Giorgia Meloni’s strength at home - and future influence in the bloc.
Thousands gathered in Budapest’s iconic Heroes’ Square, for a rally organised by opposition figure Péter Magyar – a former government insider who has turned against Hungary’s prime minister, Viktor Orbán.
False claims are circulating on Saturday that Germany that voting is a crime. The reports, on Telegram and Facebook are basing their claim on a Germany Federal Constitutional Court from 2012 in relation to seat allocations for Bundestag elections.
Robert Fico, Slovakia’s prime minister who was shot and seriously injured in May, cast his vote at a hospital in Bratislava, as his country joined the list of nations voting.
Voting also got under way in Czech Republic, Latvia and Malta.
European leaders spoke out after Denmark’s prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, was hit by a man on Friday evening. France’s Emmanuel Macron called the attack “unacceptable.” Estonia’s Kaja Kallas said she was “deeply shocked.”
Portugal’s far-right party Chega is facing accusations that it manipulated a video showing a migrant worker confronting its leader Andre Ventura, who went on to accuse him of fabricating his story to discredit the party ahead of the EU election
Thousands rally in Budapest
Thousands gathered in Budapest’s iconic Heroes’ Square, for a rally organised by opposition figure Péter Magyar – a former government insider who has turned against Hungary’s prime minister, Viktor Orbán.
We spoke with some of the protesters about why they came.
“He took responsibility for his sins and stood up,” said Zoltán, an activist supporting Magyar’s Tisza party, as he waited for the candidate to speak.
Lena, a 17-year old Hungarian who lives in Austria but wants to move home, said she will vote for Magyar once she is old enough. “I believe we need to take back our homeland,” she said.
Updated
