Punishing left-leaning parties

BRUSSELS — Conservatives raced toward victory in some of Europe’s largest economies Sunday as initial results and exit polls showed voters punishing left-leaning parties in European parliament elections in France, Germany and elsewhere.

Some right-leaning parties said the results vindicated their reluctance to spend more on company bailouts and fiscal stimulus amid the global economic crisis.

First projections by the European Union showed center-right parties would have the most seats — between 263 and 273 — in the 736-member parliament. Center-left parties were expected to get between 155 to 165 seats.

Right-leaning governments were ahead of the opposition in Germany, France, Italy and Belgium, while conservative opposition parties were leading in Britain and Spain.

An EU estimate showed 43 percent of 375 million eligible voters cast ballots in European parliament elections, a record low.

Exit polls also showed gains for far-right groups and other fringe parties due to record low turnout.

Fringe groups could use the parliament as a platform for their extreme views but were not expected to affect the assembly’s influential lawmaking on issues from climate change to cell-phone charges.

The parliament can also amend the EU budget — $170 billion this year — and approves candidates for the European Commission, the EU administration and the board of the European Central Bank.



by the associated press