European Parliament election four countries vote in high-stakes

The stakes for the European Union are especially high in this year's elections, which are taking place over four days and involve all 28 EU nations.

Leader of Germany's conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, EPP President Joseph Daul, Manfred Weber, top candidate of the European People's Party (EPP), former Polish President and Nobel Peace Laureate Lech Walesa

BRUSSELS: Voters in Slovakia, Malta, Latvia and the Czech Republic are casting ballots in European Parliament elections.

The stakes for the European Union are especially high in this year's elections, which are taking place over four days and involve all 28 EU nations. Many predict nationalists and far-right groups will gain ground.

They would try to use a larger presence in the legislature to claw back power from the EU for their national governments. More moderate parties want to cement closer ties among countries in the EU.

Britain, Ireland and the Netherlands have already voted. The Czech Republic started voting Friday and continues Saturday.

Slovakia, Malta and Latvia are holding their European Parliament elections Saturday and all the other nations vote Sunday. Results are expected Sunday night.