Voters in Malta find Euro vote to their liking

Tiny Malta bucked the generally gloomy trend in voter turnout in European elections on Sunday after participation reached 82 percent, the electoral commission said.

Voting by the country's 294,000 electors took place on the Mediterranean island on Saturday, with 27 candidates fighting over five seats in the European parliament.

Early predictions pointed to a breakthrough for the Green party which was expected to grab one seat, ruffling the feathers of the traditionally strong parties, the ruling Nationalists and the formerly anti-EU opposition Labour party.

Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi admitted in a television interview that the Green party had attracted support away from his Nationalist party. "We were expecting it," he said.

The turnout in Malta, which joined the EU in May along with another nine countries, was by far the highest of any of the states to have released figures.

Electoral commission head Carmel Degabriele said the large number of parties taking part in the poll meant the allocation of the five seats may not be known before Thursday.