Discontent surfacing as Europeans vote

ROME — In voting for the European Parliament, Italians cast ballots Saturday, with their government's pro-U.S. stance weighing on their minds. Voters in the Czech Republic, Ireland and Latvia showed impatience with their leaders, handing victories to opposition parties.

Latvians, Maltese and Czechs were voting for the first time since becoming members of an enlarged European Union on May 1. Italians will have a second day Sunday to cast ballots.

Citizens crowded the polls on the tiny island of Malta, but turnout was relatively low in Latvia, in part because of discontent in the Baltic nation with higher prices since entering the EU.

"Latvia joined the EU six weeks ago, and the news thus far has been mostly negative," said Latvian political commentator Karlis Streips. "Fuel has gotten more expensive, movie tickets have gotten a lot more expensive, and that may have turned a lot of people off."

The 25-nation election began Thursday in Britain and the Netherlands and runs through Sunday. The voting is to chose members of the 732-delegate European Parliament, but the results are often read as a test of voters sentiment about their national governments as much as about the union.

"In these elections, one thinks more about domestic politics than about Europe," Luciano Filippo Bracci, a 56-year-old lawyer, said after voting in downtown Rome. "It's sort of a referendum for or against the government."

In several nations, the discontent showed.

In a exit polls, Latvia's two center-right opposition parties had an edge over the three parties in the ruling coalition.

In the Czech Republic, where voting began Friday, exit polls indicated that the center-right Civic Democratic Party, the largest opposition party, had the best showing, with 31 percent. The opposition Communist Party was second, with 17 percent.

Both parties were wary about handing too much power to the European Union, a concern among many Czechs who fear the country gave up its cherished sovereignty and identity when it joined.

The election was "a referendum about the governing coalition," Civic Party leader Mirek Topolanek said. "We've won the referendum."

Turnout was estimated at 29 percent.

The Social Democrats, who lead the three-party government coalition, were third in the exit polls with 10.5 percent. Prime Minister Vladimir Spidla said the result was "by no means a success."

The Freedom Union, a junior partner in the ruling coalition, had just 2 percent in the exit poll, below the 5 percent threshold needed for EU parliamentary representation.

Petr Mares, the Freedom Union's leader, said he would resign from his post if the exit poll results are confirmed.