A man runs past a poster in front of the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium, May 26, 2019. The European Parliament (EU) elections started in Belgium on Sunday. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong)

BRUSSELS, May 26 (Xinhua) -- The European Parliament published on Sunday midnight the provisional results for this year's elections, showing the European People's Party group winning 178 seats and remaining the largest political group in the legislature.

The second largest group is the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) with 152 seats, in the 751-member legislature.

Combined, the two largest parties -- traditionally forming a grand alliance big enough to be in the control in the legislature -- fall short of a majority.

The third largest group is the ALDE group plus France's Renaissance with 108 seats.

The group of Greens and European Free Alliance came in the fourth place with 67 seats.

The European Conservatives and Reformists group is the fifth-largest with 61 seats.

European Parliament announced that EU-wide turnout has risen over 50 percent, the highest in 20 years and the first significant increase in turnout since 1979.