Europe gears up for MEP elections

Up to 380 million Europeans will vote across Europe to choose 751 MEPs to represent them at the European plenary.

In what has become customary during European elections, turnout is again expected to dwindle, with opinion polls suggesting that this year, voting might fall to about 40%. Nevertheless, Europe's mainstream political groups - the centre-right European People's Party, the centre-left Socialists & Democrats, the liberal ALDE alliance and the Greens - are together expected to secure 70% of the vote, leaving them as a driving force in Europe.

Britain and the Netherlands have already cast their vote, while voting is underway and the Czech Republic. Malta, together with Slovakia and European newcomers Latvia will vote on Saturday.

The rest of the countries will vote on Sunday.

In Britain, the Ukip is expected to garner the majority of votes, while the Liberal Democrats are on course to suffer a wipeout.

Labour is projected to come second with 26% of the votes, the Tories third with 22% of the vote, followed by the Greens on 10% and the Lib Dems with 9%.

The poll suggests that Ukip and Labour will both have 22 MEPs, an increase of nine each on the last elections in 2009. The Conservatives are expected to get 16 of the 70 European Parliament seats being voted on in England, Scotland and Wales, 10 fewer than before, while the Greens will get four - an increase of two.

The Lib Dems are expected to lose eight, leaving them with just three MEPs, while the far-right BNP will lose both its MEPs, a poll predicts.

Elsewhere in Holland, public television reported that the far-right, anti-Islam Freedom Party of Eurosceptic politician Geert Wilders came fourth in polls from votes in the Dutch elections. Thursday's result, if confirmed by final results on Sunday, would be a major upset for Wilders, who had been leading opinion polls for months.

The results of voting across the EU will be announced on Sunday evening.