European elections in The Netherlands are taking place in a climate of polarisation as the far right populists battle with the conservative-liberals
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European elections in The Netherlands are taking place in a climate of polarisation as the far-right populist Forum for Democracy party battles it out for first place with Prime Minister Mark Rutte's conservative-liberal People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD). The Dutch Prime Minister voted in The Hague.
Geert Wilders, the leader of the far-right Party for Freedom, also voted in The Hague.
In Holland, the ruling People's Party for Freedom and Democracy, which up to recently was first in opinion polls, is battling neck and neck with the Forum for Democracy, which is led by 36-year-old Eurosceptic Thierry Baudet and has surged in polls in recent days.
Frans Timmermans, the Socialists candidate for the European Commission presidency, also cast his vote, with the Dutch Labour party having polled in third place in opinion polls in the run up to elections but still hoping to pull off a surprise victory.
And Jesse Klaver, the leader of the GroenLinks Green-left party that hopes to counter the far-right, also cast his vote.
The results will be announced at the end of the electoral procedure on the night of May 26.