Many new faces launch next European Parliament

As the dust begins to settle in the European Parliament after the elections, new faces are mixing with old, some high-flyers have not made it back, others are in for the first time while some fell at their first election hurdle. Some of those drawing the most media attention in the run-up to the elections were among those that did not make it. Dolly Buster, the ex-porn star running in the Czech Republic, managed the double whammy of not only not being elected but not voting for herself either. According to Czech media, she was unable to vote as her name was not on the voting list because she registered too late. Another blond female who hit the headlines was Estonian super-model Carmen Kass but the business-friendly party Res Publica - for whom she was running - received a drubbing in the elections and got no seats in parliament. However, some MEPs with unusual CVs did get in. Slovakia's ice hockey star Peter Statsny is now an MEP, as is former Czech astronaut Vladimir Remek. Meanwhile some parties find themselves represented for the first time. Sinn Fein, the Irish republican party, has returned two MEPs one from Northern Ireland and one from the South. The German liberals, on the other hand, are making a return to the Brussels assembly - with 7 MEPs - after having been missing for the last five years.