Eurosceptics eye gains

Nineteen of the European Union's 25 member states were voting in the biggest transnational elections ever held, and the first for the EU since the bloc's expansion into the former communist eastern Europe on May 1.

EU leaders have pulled out all the stops to persuade people to vote in the four-day polls for 732 members of parliament, the EU's only directly-elected body, underlining its fast-growing powers within the expanding bloc.

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"Naturally I'm hoping for a high election turnout, however I am rather sceptical," German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder acknowledged as he cast his ballot.

The polls could provide bad news for many national leaders: Schroeder faces punishment for painful economic reforms, while French President Jacques Chirac may get another slap from Socialists to add to a rout in March local ballots.

Joining seasoned politicians in the race for a seat in the Strasbourg-based assembly were a quirky swathe of candidates ranging from athletes to television stars and even an astronaut and a porn star.

Seven countries already voted over the first three days of polling: Britain and the Netherlands on Thursday, the Czech Republic and Ireland from Friday and Italy, Latvia and Malta Saturday. Italy was voting for a second day on Sunday.

Results are set to be published after the last polling stations close at 2000 GMT Sunday. The polls are widely expected to leave the centre right in charge of the EU assembly, with Social Democrats in second place.

Campaign themes in the polls varied widely from country to country, with local issues often dominating as opposed to European-level policy debate. Many see the polls as mid-term tests for national elections.

The Iraq conflict weighed on the polls in many countries, for example in Britain where Prime Minister Tony Blair openly conceded that his decision to go to war with the United States had cost him votes.