European Parliament Elections: Higher Turnout in Croatia than in 2014

CROATIA, (Patria) - Elections are being held in Croatia where voters will decide on 12 representatives in the European Parliament. By 11:30 a.m., 9.93% of voters had cast their ballots, which is about 2.3% more compared to 2014, the State Electoral Commission (DIP) announced, HRT reports, the Patria agency reports. The first results of the voting are expected after 11 p.m.

The names of the 12 Croatian representatives who will go to Brussels will be known after 11 p.m.

Prime Minister and HDZ President Andrej Plenković voted at the Square of the French Republic in Zagreb and said he believes it is important that as many citizens as possible turn out to vote because members of the European Parliament are important participants in decision-making processes that have a direct impact on the lives of all people in Croatia.

About twenty European Union countries are voting today in the European elections, after Latvians, Maltese and Slovaks, who voted on Saturday, and Britons, Dutch, Irish and Czechs who voted earlier this week.

From Thursday to Sunday, about 418 million voters from 28 EU countries can participate in one of the world's largest democratic elections. Today, Germany, France, Austria, Poland, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Bulgaria, Romania, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Greece, Belgium, Luxembourg, Spain, Portugal, Estonia, Lithuania and Hungary are voting.

The elections mark the beginning of a new political cycle in the European Union, which includes a change in the leadership of its institutions. Also, the elections come at a time of the planned exit of Great Britain from the Union and threats coming from outside and within.

Public opinion polls show that far-right populist parties could do well, which could potentially jeopardize decision-making in the EU over the next five years.