In the European elections, citizens of the countries that make up the European Union choose their representatives to the European Parliament. It is the largest multi-national election in the world, enrolling some 373 million voters.
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00:00 Elections to the European Parliament take place in all Europe and they will run until Sunday.
00:05 Our correspondent Andres Flores has other details.
00:08 In the European elections, citizens of the countries that make up the European Union choose their representatives to the European Parliament.
00:17 It is the largest multinational election in the world, enrolling some 373 million voters.
00:24 This time, these elections are taking place amid conflicts that directly or indirectly involve Europe.
00:31 These elections are taking place in an international context marked by the start of the war in Ukraine,
00:39 an ongoing genocide in Palestine by the State of Israel.
00:43 According to many analysts, the far-right is expected to gain strength in these European elections.
00:53 According to the polls, there will be a very significant increase of votes for different extreme right and populist right parties.
01:00 In general, the extreme right is expected to double its number of seats.
01:04 Same goes for the reskeptic right.
01:06 Therefore, the two combined could make up to 25% of the European Parliament.
01:12 Meanwhile, extreme centrist parties are expected to lose.
01:15 For Sergi Roca, chief international news editor at Catalunya Radio,
01:21 the new European Parliament will have to deal with shifting world powers.
01:25 Internationally speaking, the European Parliament and the European Commission coming out of these elections will have to negotiate with the usual players.
01:36 But in the case of the United States, for instance, it may again be Joe Biden or it may be Trump, which would make a difference.
01:45 But also there is China and Latin America.
01:48 The Mercosur agenda has been stuck for many years, so it would be very interesting to see how that evolves.
01:55 Historian Irene González Eyo highlights the main challenges that next European Parliament will have to face.
02:03 During the next five years, the European Union will have to face issues such as the climate crisis,
02:13 having two wars very close to our borders, but in our continent.
02:18 Also the challenge of achieving gender equality, continuing to fight for human rights that meet European standards.
02:26 But there is concern about low turnout predictions.
02:31 I hope such predictions remain just that, and people turn out massively to vote, especially young people.
02:39 I think many people are very much aware of these being important elections and what is at stake,
02:46 of the challenges for the next five years, and I think this can mobilize young people.
02:51 The European Parliament is the only multinational parliamentary assembly in the world, elected by direct vote, and this Sunday it will be restructured.
03:02 structure.