A woman arrived at a polling station located in West Blatchington Windmill near Hove, south east England, Thursday May 23, 2019, as polls opened in elections for the European Parliament. (Steve Parsons/PA via AP)
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THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) - Pro-European Dutch parties were predicted Thursday to win most of the country's seats in the European Parliament, with outspoken right-wing populist opponents of the European Union managing to take only four of the nation's 26 seats.
In a surprise forecast, the Dutch Labor Party of European Commission Vice President Frans Timmermans became the country's biggest party in the European Parliament, according to an Ipsos exit poll.
"What an unbelievable exit poll!" Labor leader Lodewijk Asscher told cheering party faithful.
The poll was published by Dutch national broadcaster NOS after polling stations closed Thursday evening in Netherlands. Dutch and British voters had kicked off the first of four days of voting for the European parliament in all of the EU's 28 nations.
The Dutch Labor party was forecast to win five seats, while the pro-European center right VVD of Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte gained one seat to win a total of four seats.
"There is a clear majority of people in the Netherlands, if you count them altogether, who want the European Union to continue playing a role in tackling problems that need to be solved," Timmermans told NOS, speaking from Spain.
The right-wing populist Forum for Democracy was forecast by the Ipsos exit poll to win three seats in its first European elections, but those gains didn't primarily come at the expense of Europe's mainstream parties. Instead, it appeared they came from other populists - the anti-Islam Party for Freedom led by firebrand lawmaker Geert Wilders, which lost three of its four EU seats, according to the poll.
The splintered Dutch result echoes Dutch domestic politics: There are 13 parties in the 150-seat national parliament.
The United Kingdom was the only other EU country to vote Thursday, even as the nation remained in political turmoil over its plans to leave the bloc altogether. No exit polls were expected Thursday night from the UK voting.
Final results from all 28 EU nations will be published after voting ends late Sunday.
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Katz reported from London.
Netherlands Prime Minister Mark Rutte leaves on his bike after voting in the European elections in The Hague, Netherlands, Thursday, May 23, 2019. (AP Photo/Phil Nijhuis)
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Thierry Baudet, leader of the populist party Forum for Democracy, casts his ballot for the European elections in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Thursday, May 23, 2019. Dutch polls have opened in elections for the European Parliament, starting four days of voting across the 28-nation bloc that pits supporters of deeper integration against populist Euroskeptics who want more power for their national governments. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)
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Thierry Baudet, leader of the populist party Forum for Democracy, casts his ballot for the European elections in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Thursday, May 23, 2019. Dutch polls have opened in elections for the European Parliament, starting four days of voting across the 28-nation bloc that pits supporters of deeper integration against populist Euroskeptics who want more power for their national governments. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)
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Geert Wilders, leader of the Dutch Party for Freedom, casts his ballot in the European elections in The Hague, Netherlands, Thursday, May 23, 2019. (AP Photo/Phil Nijhuis)
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Leader of Dutch Party for Freedom Geert Wilders casts his ballot for the European elections in The Hague, Netherlands, Thursday, May 23, 2019. (AP Photo/Phil Nijhuis)
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Geert Wilders, leader of the Dutch Party for Freedom, center, arrives at a polling station to cast his vote in the European elections in The Hague, Netherlands, Thursday, May 23, 2019. (AP Photo/Phil Nijhuis)
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Jeremy Corbyn leader of Britain's opposition Labour Party after voting in the European Elections in London, Thursday, May 23, 2019. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
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Election volunteers staff a polling station located in a launderette in Headington, England, Thursday May 23, 2019, as polls opened in elections for the European Parliament. (Jonathan Brady/PA via AP)
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Monks Father Leonard Norman, left, and Father Mark Caira from the Sancta Maria Abbey in Garvald, Scotland, arrive at a polling station to cast their votes for the European Parliamentary election. (Jane Barlow/PA via AP)
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Netherlands Prime Minister Mark Rutte casts his ballot for the European elections in The Hague, Netherlands, Thursday, May 23, 2019. (AP Photo/Phil Nijhuis)
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Netherlands Prime Minister Mark Rutte takes a photo on a phone at a polling station in The Hague, Netherlands, Thursday, May 23, 2019, as polls opened in elections for the European Parliament. (AP Photo/Phil Nijhuis)
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Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May and her husband Philip arrive at a polling station to vote in the European Elections in Sonning, England, Thursday, May 23, 2019.(AP Photo/Frank Augstein)
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Workers clean the European Council headquarters entrance glasses at the European quarter in Brussels, Thursday, May 23, 2019. Dutch and British voters were the first to have their say Thursday in elections for the European Parliament, starting four days of voting across the 28-nation bloc that pits supporters of deeper integration against populist euroskeptics who want more power for their national governments. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
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From left, Mother Hildegarde, Mother Xavier and Mother Macrina from the Tyburn Convent leave after casting their votes at St John Parish Church in Hyde Park, London, Thursday, May 23, 2019. Dutch and British voters were the first to have their say Thursday in elections for the European Parliament, starting four days of voting across the 28-nation bloc that pits supporters of deeper integration against populist euroskeptics who want more power for their national governments. (Kirsty O'Connor/PA via AP)
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Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May and her husband Philip talk to children as they arrive at a polling station to vote in the European Elections in Sonning, England, Thursday, May 23, 2019.(AP Photo/Frank Augstein)
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Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May and her husband Philip arrive at a polling station to vote in the European Elections in Sonning, England, Thursday, May 23, 2019.(AP Photo/Frank Augstein)
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Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May and her husband Philip leave a polling station after voting in the European Elections in Sonning, England, Thursday, May 23, 2019.(AP Photo/Frank Augstein)
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Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May and her husband Philip leave a polling station after voting in the European Elections in Sonning, England, Thursday, May 23, 2019.(AP Photo/Frank Augstein)
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Ballot boxes are transported around Inishbofin island, Ireland, Thursday, May 23, 2019 in preparation for voting in the European Parliament elections. Some 400 million Europeans from 28 countries head to the polls from Thursday to Sunday to choose their representatives at the European Parliament for the next five years. (Niall Carson/PA via AP)
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