Czechs begin first day of voting in elections to the European Parliament

Czechs began voting in elections to the European Parliament on Friday to fill the 21 seats allotted to the Czech Republic in the 751-strong assembly. A record 38 parties and movements have fielded 849 candidates, which translates into 40 contenders for one mandate. Voter turnout in European elections is traditionally lower than the EU average, with only around a third of eligible voters expected to come to the polls. The results will be announced late on Sunday after the last EU voting country, Italy, closes its polling stations. The European Parliament represents the interests of 500 million people.