- Opposed to closer EU integration -In the Netherlands, flamboyant populist Thierry Baudet, a classics-quoting climate sceptic, is on course to beat Prime Minister Mark Rutte's Liberals. These are the ninth European parliament elections since they began in 1979 and voter turnout has dropped each time, hitting 43 percent in 2014. Opinion polls predict a significant advance for nationalist and populist forces opposed to closer EU integration and threatening mainstream reform efforts. The latest Eurobarometer survey commissioned by the European Parliament found 61 percent of respondents calling their country's EU membership a good thing -- the highest level since the early 1990s. Former Luxembourg prime minister Jean-Claude Juncker is stepping down after five years as president of the European Commission.

Source: Bangkok Post May 23, 2019 02:03 UTC