Three more nations cast EU vote

Ex-Czech President Vaclav Havel said it was an important vote

Voters in Latvia and Malta - two of the 10 new EU members - and also in Italy are going to the polls on the third day of European parliamentary elections.

Saturday was also the second day of voting for the Czechs, but turnout was reportedly low when polls opened.

Millions of Italian voters were sent a "reminder" mobile phone text message from PM Silvio Berlusconi's office.

The 25-nation, four-day balloting began on Thursday in the Netherlands and Britain and runs until Sunday.

Both Latvia and Malta were voting for the first time in European elections.

Because the European elections are something new I expect the turnout to be very low Bohumil Dolezal Czech political analyst

By midday (0900GMT), just over 21% of Latvia's 1.4 million voters had cast their ballot - a slightly lower turnout than in national elections in October 2002.

Latvia's Green Prime Minister Indulis Emsis turned up at his local polling booth on his bike.

"We are a new democracy, we are not indifferent like many people in all democracies. In old Europe, we are full of energy," he told reporters.

Latvians were choosing their nine MEPs from 245 candidates and 16 political organisations.

Low turnout

The 400,000 population of the tiny Mediterranean island of Malta is choosing five MEPs.

The Czech Republic - another country that joined the European bloc on 1 May - is choosing parliamentary representatives for 24 seats.

VOTING TIMETABLE Thursday: The Netherlands, UK Friday: Ireland Friday & Saturday: Czech Rep Saturday: Latvia and Malta Saturday & Sunday: Italy Sunday: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden Q&A: European elections Country-by-country overview

A Eurosceptic opposition was dominating a field of 31 parties and groups running in the elections.

One opinion poll predicted the ruling Social Democrats would trail a poor third behind the opposition Civic Democrats and the communists.

Czech national radio reported a turnout of about 20% after the polls opened on Saturday morning, and analysts predicted that overall turnout could be as low as 30%.

"Because the European Parliament elections are something new I expect the turnout to be very low," Czech political analyst Bohumil Dolezal told AFP news agency.

Early indications of a low turnout in the new EU member states prompted a warning from the enlargement commissioner, Guenter Verheugen.

"I'm very worried that a low turnout everywhere could produce very strange results and even result in anti-European organisations being elected," he said.

Popularity test

In Italy, some 50 million people were eligible to vote in the election, scheduled to run into Sunday. The country is assigned 78 seats in the new parliament, nine fewer than in the last poll.

The vote - which takes place simultaneously with local elections - is widely seen as a test of Prime Minister Berlusconi's popularity.

He faced strong opposition in the country for his support of the US-led coalition in Iraq and his decision to send out 3,000 troops.

A total of 732 MEPs are being chosen by a voting population of some 350 million people across the European Union.

The final results are scheduled for release only after all countries have finished voting, by the end of Sunday.

In the Netherlands just over 39% of the electorate went to the polls, the highest for 15 years. Turnout was similar in Britain, at around 40%, up by nine percentage points from last year.

The Irish voted on Friday where turnout was reported to be higher than at the last European elections in 1999.

They were also giving their verdict on their citizenship laws, which had sparked a debate about race and immigration.

An exit poll by the Irish state broadcaster, RTE, suggests voters have overwhelmingly backed a constitutional amendment to tighten the laws.

OUTGOING PARLIAMENT: BREAKDOWN OF SEATS

EPP-ED: European People's Party-European Democrats (Centre-Right)
PES: Party of European Socialists (Socialists)
ELDR: European Liberal, Democrat and Reform Party (Liberals)
EUL/NGL: European United Left / Nordic Green Left (Far Left)
Greens/EFA: Greens / European Free Alliance (Greens and regionalists / nationalists)
IND: Independents, not attached to any group
UEN: Union for Europe of the Nations (Right wing / Gaullists)
EDD: Europe of Democracies and Diversities (Eurosceptics)