By June 13, 23.38: Bruno Waterfield, updated - 13th June 2004
Far-right, fringe and anti-EU political groups have benefited from low turnout and protest voting in 2004’s EU elections.
Europe’s ‘extremists’ – on provisional figures – have more than doubled the number of non-mainstream MEPs.
The exception to the rule appears to be Austria where the far-right Freedom Party won just 6.3 per cent of the vote.
Europe’s centre-right is set to increase its European Parliament gains to up to 272 seats.
Early results for an enlarged European Parliament of 732 seats – an extra 106 MEPs – gives the EPP/ED political group a clear majority.
The centre-left Socialists continue as the second largest political bloc with up to 201 seats – increasing by 21 MEPs.
Europe’s Liberals are also boosted moving on from 50 to up to 66 seats.
Greens lose out with the environmentalist share dropping from 48 seats to 42.
Europe’s fringe groups – including anti-EU and far-right political parties – have surged from 27 to 69 seats after a poll marked by low turnout and protest votes against sitting governments.
The anti-EU UK Independence Party have quadrupled seats from three to 12.
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