News

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- $120 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 $7,665 ($10,430) a month- to be overpaid, remote and irrelevant.

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

Germany

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.

France

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

Italy

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.

Britain

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 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.

Spain

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

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.

Austria

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

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.