Photograph: Bernadett Szabó/Reuters
Summary of the day
People in Ireland and the Czech Republic are voting in the European elections, a day after voters in the Netherlands went to the polls.
Broadcaster NOS has published an exit poll showing that in the Netherlands the Green-Left-Labour alliance took a narrow lead over the far-right Freedom party (PVV).
Reacting to the exit polling, the Greens’ Bas Eickhout said “the narrative of the rise of the far-right has been beaten in the Netherlands.”
Far-right politician Geert Wilders welcomed the exit poll results “The PVV had the best result and biggest gains ever in the EU elections!” he wrote.
In Ireland, a record number of far-right candidates are on the ballot for local councils and the European parliament but it is unclear if many will get elected and join an expected far-right surge across Europe.
“Keeping the crazies out, that’s the main thing,” said Ger, in his 40s, after voting in Dun Laoghaire in south Dublin. “I’m quite concerned that one of them will get elected to Europe.”
Helen, 69, outside another south Dublin polling station, said she had nothing against foreigners but had voted for parties that would prioritise accommodation for “forgotten” homeless Irish people.
Petr Fiala, the conservative Czech prime minister, said his electoral alliance will stop illegal migration to Europe.
Meanwhile, the campaign has been heating up across the continent, as more countries prepare to vote.
Pollster Median found that among decided Hungarian voters, the ruling Fidesz party is polling at 50%, while Péter Magyar’s Tisza party is at 27%.
Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the Ukrainian president, addressed the French national assembly.
The European Commission said that Ukraine and Moldova meet all the criteria to formally start negotiations on EU membership.
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Updated
European Commission confirms Ukraine and Moldova meet criteria for EU negotiations
The European Commission said today that Ukraine and Moldova meet all the criteria to formally start negotiations on EU membership, Reuters reported.
“We confirm that on the Commission side we consider that all the steps have been met by the two countries,” a Commission spokesperson said.
“The decision is now in the hands of the member states - it is for them to adopt the negotiating framework,” she said. “Once this step is done it is the prerogative of the EU presidency to convene an intergovernmental conference to formally mark the start of the negotiations,” she added.
To start negotiations, the EU’s member states need to unanimously agree by adopting the so-called negotiating framework.
Hungary has raised doubts about the assessment.
Updated
