Exit polls in Germany and Austria: Rise of the far-right

(Patria) - Exit polls for the EU elections in Austria and Germany show a rise of the right.

In Austria, 20 members of the EU parliament are being elected. According to exit polls, the far-right Freedom Party leads with 29 percent.

They are followed by the Social Democrats with 22 percent and the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) with around 20 percent. NEOS has around 10 percent.

As for Germany, the CDU leads with 29.5 percent, and the far-right AfD is second with 16.5 percent. The SPD is third with 14%. The Greens have 12 percent, and the Free Democrats 5 percent. For comparison, the AfD had 11 percent in 2019. The Social Democratic Party of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz suffered a historic defeat.

Turnout in France could reach a 40-year high on Sunday. By 5 p.m., 45.26 percent of voters had cast their ballots, about two percentage points higher than turnout in 2019. The participation level is on track to reach its highest point since the start of the millennium.

A victory is expected for Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally.

In Croatia, polling stations closed at 7 p.m. Twelve representatives to the European Parliament are being elected. According to the results, HDZ will have 6, SDP - 4, DP - 1, MOŽEMO - 1.