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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.