By MICHAEL WEISSENSTEIN and ROBERT WIELAARD, Associated Press Writer Michael Weissenstein And Robert Wielaard, Associated Press Writer – 1 hr 56 mins ago
BRUSSELS – Europe was leaning to the right ahead of European Parliament elections Sunday, with voters in many countries favoring conservative parties against a backdrop of economic crisis.

Opinion polling showed right-leaning governments with edges over their opposition in Germany, Italy and France. Conservative opposition parties were tied or ahead in Britain, Spain, and some smaller countries.

The parliament has evolved over the past 50 years from a consultative legislature to one with the right to vote on or amend two-thirds of all EU laws.

It increasingly makes vital decisions on issues ranging from climate change to cell-phone roaming charges. It can amend the EU budget — euro120 billion ($170 billion) this year — and holds hearings to approve candidates for the European Commission, the EU administration and board of the European Central Bank.

The outgoing assembly passed 1,355 laws in its five-year term, slashing mobile phone costs, banning toxic chemicals from toys and barring the import of dog and cat fur and seal products, among other issues.

But with unemployment high across Europe, many voters expressed dissatisfaction with all mainstream national parties, and skepticism over the EU's ability to help spur recovery.

Reflecting the disenchantment, polls predicted record low turnout for the EU vote, and small but symbolically important gains for far-right groups and other fringe parties in countries from Britain to Hungary.

Polls also show voters consider their European Parliament members — who earn euro7,665 ($10,430) a month — to be overpaid, remote and irrelevant.

"I know they run up heaps of expenses. They don't seem to miss too many meals!" Mary McAllister, 32, said after voting Friday inside a Catholic church social hall in Dublin.

For many voters and politicians, the Europe-wide elections were most important as a snapshot of national political sentiment.

Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative Christian Democrats were ahead of the center-left Social Democrats in Germany, which holds national elections in September. Merkel hopes to form a center-right government after the national vote with the pro-business Free Democrats, whose ratings have strengthened during the recession.

In France, President Nicolas Sarkozy's conservative UMP party has steadily held the lead in polls, with the Socialist Party second.

Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi's Freedom People's Party held a two-digit lead over his main center-left rival in the most recent polling despite a deep recession and a scandal over allegations he had an inappropriate relationship with an 18-year-old model.

In Britain, dissident Labour legislators said a plot to oust Prime Minister Gordon Brown could accelerate when expected dismal results in the European elections were announced.

Opponents say the Labour leader has been so tainted by the economic crisis and a scandal over lawmakers' expenses that Conservatives are virtually guaranteed to win a national election that must be called by June 2010.

Polls showed good news for left-leaning parties in countries such as Greece and Portugal.

But an informal forecast by the political science Web site http://www.predict09.eu site anticipated Conservatives winning 262 seats against 194 for the Socialists and 85 for the Liberals in 736-seat European Parliament, roughly the same proportions as in the last parliament.

The EU assembly has been a forum for consensus politics, and right-leaning parties have taken up business regulation and social protection initiatives more traditionally associated with the left.

In Spain, where the recession has driven unemployment to 17.4 percent, Europe's highest, a close race was expected between the ruling Socialists and conservative opposition. A poll published May 31 in the El Mundo newspaper showed the conservatives taking a few more seats.

Poland's governing pro-business Civic Platform party was expected to claim around half of the country's 54 seats, followed by the conservative nationalist Law and Justice party — a shift to the right for Poland at the European parliament.

Center-right and -left parties in Austria were expected to lose seats to smaller groups like the far-right Freedom Party, which has campaigned on a strong anti-Islam platform. Its posters proclaim "The Occident in Christian hands" and describe voting day as "the day of reckoning."

Hungary's governing Socialist Party has been burdened by a highly unpopular former leader and Hungary's deep economic crisis, which has forced a series of austerity measures like higher taxes and lower social subsidies.

Pollsters expect the main center-right opposition party, Fidesz, to win at least 15 of 22 seats. Jobbik, a far-right party that is accused by critics of racism and anti-Semitism and is not in the Hungarian parliament, was expected to win one or two seats.

Voters in eight nations, including Britain, Ireland and the Netherlands, cast ballots in the three days leading up to Sunday's voting in the rest of the 27-nation EU.

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I know it's long...don't shoot the messenger

It's because they screwed up in the past 20 years, it's the fault of the left and liberal parties.

It's hard to believe them. Imagine the opposite of what happened in the USA, but instead of the right-wing party (republicans) screwing up, it's the left and liberal party did the same. Of course they gonna get voted out. Now they spread propaganda about "nazis" and "extremists" , all coming from the loosing left side. Doesn't it sound familiar?

The US and Europe appear to be in opposite cycles.

Yep...USA is becoming more liberal and leftist, while Europe is becoming conservative rightist.

BRUSSELS – Conservatives scored victories in some of Europe's largest economies Sunday as voters punished left-leaning parties in European parliament elections in France, Germany and other nations.

Some right-leaning parties said the results vindicated their reluctance to spend more on company bailouts and fiscal stimulus to combat the global economic crisis.

The European Union said center-right parties were expected to take the most seats — 267 — in the 736-member parliament. Center-left parties were headed for 159 seats. The remainder were expected to go to smaller groupings

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/european_elections

for the rest of the story

Except the BNP and their ilk ARE Nazis. A sad day indeed for the EU, left or right, when admitted racists and unapologetic fascists can actually win elections.

On the bright side, I'm an American and I seriously doubt the neo-Nazis will ever take over by elections. By violence maybe but not by elections.