Voters in Ireland and the Czech Republic are going to the polls on the second day of the elections for the European Paraliament.

Dutch voters cast their ballots on Thursday at the start of a four-day election for the European Parliament that is likely to see a rightward shift in the continent's balance of power.

Irish voters picked up the baton on day two of marathon EU elections Friday, after the Netherlands kicked off the ballot with a strong showing by the far right.Exit polls after the vote in the Netherlands showed the Freedom Party (PVV) of anti-immigration eurosceptic Geert Wilders getting a boost in the incoming EU legislature,

European Union parliamentary elections kicked off Thursday in the Netherlands, with exit polls showing a close race between Geert Wilders' party and a left-wing coalition.

The poll results were a possible harbinger of strong electoral gains for the hard right in the European Union over four days of voting that ends Sunday.

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) -Dutch nationalist Geert Wilders looked set for new electoral gains on Thursday as the Netherlands kicks off four days of voting in the European Parliament election held across the 27 EU member states.