We're on our final stretch of our tour round the voting Member States today.
Sweden:
Sweden is currently governed from the centre-right, with the Moderate Party leading the government. With national elections coming up in September, there have been worries that the far-right (Swedish Democrats) and far-left (Left Party) stand to gain votes and seats, and the European elections is being seen as a dry-run for the national elections.
Current Polls:
Social Democratic Worker's Party (PES): 30%
Centre Party (ALDE): 4%
Liberal Party (ALDE): 9%
Environment Party (Greens): 12%
Swedish Democrats (NI): 7%
Christian Democrats (EPP): 4%
Left Party (UEL): 7%
Moderate Party (EPP): 20%
Slovenia:
Slovenia is a Eurozone country that has fallen into economic difficulties and there have been concerns that it may need to be bailed out - it has had to recapitalise its banks with €3 billion. The centre-right parties look like they are set to win the election in a landslide, so Slovenia can be counted as being firmly in the EPP bracket of parliamentary arithmetic.
Current Polls:
Democratic Party (EPP): 27%
Social Democrats (PES): 9%
Christian People's Party (EPP): 21%
Positive Slovenia (ALDE): 5.5%
Liberal Democrats (ALDE): 7%
Democratic Party of Pensioners (NI): 4.6%
Slovenian National Party (NI): 4%
List Verjamem (NI): 12%
United Left (UEL): 4%
Cyprus:
Cyprus is one of the latest countries to be hit by the Eurocrisis, and the first country to have a "bail-in", with depositors hit by the losses of the banks. The Democratic Rally (EPP) won the presidential elections in February 2013 (the post was previously held by the communist Progressive Party of Working People [AKEL]), and they are currently leading in the polls by a wide margin.
Current Polls:
Democratic Rally (EPP): 38%
AKEL (UEL): 24%
Democratic Party (PES): 12%
Citizen's Alliance Party (NI): 7%
Movement for Social Democracy (PES): 9%
Lithuania:
The Social Democratic Party has led the government since the general election in 2012, and the Lithuanian government ran the Council presidency in the second half of 2013. Lithuania's most recognisable politician is probably its independent president, Dalia Grybauskaité, who has been dubbed the Iron Lady. The Social Democrats are on course for a convincing win judging by the polls on PollWatch 2014.
Current Polls:
Social Democratic Party (PES): 38%
Homeland Party (EPP): 10%
Labour Party (ALDE): 11%
Liberal Movement (ALDE): 9%
Order and Justice (EFD): 14%
Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania (AECR): 5%
Peasants and Greens (NI): 5%
Estonia:
Estonia is a small Eurozone country of about 1.3 million, but it has 6 main parties in its parliament. An independent aligned with the Greens is running and is predicted to win a seat. It looks like the Liberal ALDE group will win half the seats in Estonia.
Current Poll:
Centre Party (ALDE): 20%
Reform Party (ALDE): 18%
Res Publica (EPP): 17%
Social Democratic Party (PES): 18%
Indrek Tarand (Independent/Greens): 14%
Finland:
Finland is another stronghold for the Liberals (along with Estonia and the Netherlands). However, the EPP and the far-right True Finns are expected to do well in these elections. The True Finns (or the Finns Party) have increased their profile through the opposition to bail outs within the Eurozone. Finland, along with The Netherlands and Germany, tend to take a hard pro-austerity line as a trade-off for bail-outs.
Current Polls:
National Coalition Party (EPP): 23%
True Finns (EFD): 21%
Centre Party (ALDE): 14%
Social Democratic Party (PES): 13%
Green League (Greens): 11%
Left Alliance (UEL): 8%
Swedish People's Party (ALDE): 4%
Christian Democrats (EPP): 3.5%
Luxembourg:
One of the smallest Member States, but its former Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker is heading the EPP campaign as the candidate for the Commission Presidency. Juncker lost the general election in 2013, where the Christian Social People's Party were the biggest party, but the opposition parties won enough seats to form a coalition and oust the government.
Current Polls:
Christian Social People's Party (EPP): 34%
Luxembourg Socialist Worker's Party (PES): 20%
Democratic Party (ALDE): 18%
Greens: 10%
Alternative Democratic Reform Party (NI): 7%
The Left (UEL): 5%
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