Several recent election polls indicate what changes the new European Parliament could suffer after the May elections. The leading political parties, the centre-right EPP and the socialist S&D (previously, and possibly during the following term again named PES) won a little over 200 parliamentary seats each in the 751-seat EU co-legislator, exact numbers varying depending on the poll. Together with the third largest political group in the EP, the Liberals (ALDE), the combined support of the three is expected to drop from 73% of the votes in 2009 to some 63% this year. Their loss is expected to be the gain of some extreme left and right eurosceptic populist parties. Some polls suggest, that ALDE could lose its third place in the EP party hierarchy to the far-left GUE group. Far-left is expected to have very good results in Greece (Syriza) and far-right in France (Front National). Centre-left is expected to win in Slovakia, Belgium, Portugal, Sweden or the UK. Centre-right could do well in Germany, Hungary and France. The Liberals will probably lose their position in Germany, but could make up for the loss in the Netherlands, Finland and Denmark. Following the German Federal Constitutional Court´s decision abandoning the 3% threshold needed for parties to obtain parliamentary seats, only around 270 thousand votes could suffice in Germany to win a seat. This gives a solid chance for the eurosceptic AfD and also to the Pirates, but neo-nazi National Democrats could profit as well. The EP elections will take place across EU between 22 and 25 May.

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