Conservatives Narrowly Lead Socialists in EU Vote
Conservative parties across Europe hold a narrow lead over their socialist rivals on the eve of elections for the next five-year European Parliament, according to a poll published Tuesday.
The PollWatch2014 survey issued as EU citizens prepare for the May 22-25 ballot showed conservatives in the European People's Party (EPP) picking up 217 seats against 201 for the Socialists and Democrats (S&D).
The rest of the 751-seat assembly is held by smaller groups, including euroskeptic and radical parties on both the left and right that are expected to increase their share of the vote.
Of the major European Union powers, Spain and Germany's ruling parties are members of the EPP group, while those in France and Italy belong to the S&D.
The poll predicted the mainstream EPP would see its seats in parliament fall from the current 35.8 percent to 28.9 percent, while the S&D would see a slight rise, from 25.6 percent to 26.8 percent.
In third place, the centrist Liberals (ALDE) are expected to see their share of the vote slide to 7.9 percent, or 59 seats, down from their current 10.8 percent, or 83 seats, PollWach 2014 said.
Source: Agence France Presse
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