Voters in Ireland and the Czech Republic begin voting in European Parliament elections

Voters in Ireland and the Czech Republic began voting in the European Parliament (EP) elections on June 7. This is the second day of the four-day election in the European Union (EU), after the Netherlands became the first country to hold the vote.

Polling stations open at 7am and will close at 10pm (local time). Ireland will have 14 MEPs, representing 2% of the 720 seats.

In this vote, Irish voters will also elect 949 city and county council seats in 31 local authorities and choose a mayor for the city of Limerick.

In Ireland, local and European elections have been dominated by housing shortages and backlash against immigration and refugees.

A record number of far-right candidates are running for local councils and the European Parliament, but it is unclear whether many will be elected and join the expected far-right wave across the EU.

Polls show that nearly two-thirds of voters in the country want tighter immigration controls.

In the Czech Republic, politicians are facing voter apathy in the EP elections. Voter turnout in the country was the second lowest in the 2019 election, at just 28.72%.

Polls show the centrist ANO movement of billionaire and former Prime Minister Andrej Babis is leading, ahead of the centre-right coalition.

Most of the 27 EU countries, including powerhouses Germany and France, are holding votes on June 9, with a total of 370 million people eligible to vote.

The far right in Europe is seeking to exploit the discontent of voters weary of a succession of crises over the past five years, from the COVID-19 pandemic to the fallout from the conflict in Ukraine.

French President Emmanuel Macron warned the EU risks being "paralyzed" by the large presence of the far-right in the EP.