European elections: how important are they for citizens?
From 6 to 9 June voters from the 27 EU member states will elect a new European Parliament. Commentators stress the importance of the elections in view of an anticipated shift to the right and call for for an election campaign that resonates more with citizens and gets them to go out and vote.
National issues don't belong here
El Periódico de Catalunya complains about the way the election campaign is going in Spain:
“These politicians who complain that the public is not interested in Europe while they themselves are the protagonists of an election campaign in which they talk about everything but the EU are truly cynical. They take it for granted that the elections to the European Parliament are only about national issues. ... It would be more constructive to explain what Europe wants. ... There is still no European public opinion. ... If they don't talk clearly there can be no credible European Union. ... It would be very beneficial if the European elections focused on reality and experience rather than cheap theatre.”
Same old bluster won't lure election-weary voters
Bulgarians are showing little interest in the European elections, which coincide with yet another snap parliamentary election in the country, news.bg observes:
“The European election campaign is not particularly active. There is a lack of original messages or innovative proposals for solutions to the problems at hand. ... One reason for this is the frequency of parliamentary elections in the last three years. But that is by no means the only explanation. Another has to do with the way candidates are seeking to attract the voters' attention. The sad fact is that the campaigns of the leading parties are very similar, not to say identical.”
East-West divide regarding stance on EU
wPolityce.pl turns an eye to the surveys that show that citizens of Western European countries are increasingly critical of the EU:
“The basic conclusion is that the citizens of these countries are getting more and more fed up with the EU and the global order and believe that Europe has taken the wrong path. ... Traditionally, they are far more critical of Brussels' policies and those of their own countries vis-à-vis the EU than the Central and Eastern Europeans. Of course, this also has to do with the fact that they are the ones paying the highest price for the EU's disastrous policies - the collapse of the welfare state and the ongoing social and economic crises caused, for example, by uncontrolled immigration and the Green Deal.”
Every vote counts
Helsingin Sanomat stresses the importance of the EU Parliament:
“In the European elections, the candidates face a special challenge: just getting people to go out and vote. Voter turnout for European elections in Finland has until now been far lower than for national elections. ... Yet it's important to take an interest in the European elections. Europe will face many major issues in the coming years and the role of the European Parliament in solving them is not insignificant. By voting, you influence who from Finland has a say on EU issues, and the Finns' choice will also be reflected in the composition of the European Parliament as a whole.”
A decisive moment
De Standaard says certain key questions need to be answered:
“Europe sets the framework within which the majority of national legislation is shaped. Migration, climate, international trade, competition policy, agriculture, nature. ... And above all the question of how to deal with the Trojan horses within Europe that want to dismantle some of the EU's liberal foundations. ... According to the polls, the liberal and green groups will almost certainly lose heavily in favour of the conservative and far-right groups. But for the time being it is still unclear with which orientation these groups will re-enter parliament. ... Will the right-wing conservatives move towards the centre or will the Christian Democrats become more right-wing?”
Parties targeting non-voters
Phileleftheros looks at the impact of abstention:
“The parties are now targeting those who are unlikely to vote. ... They're trying every tactic they can think of, from videos on Tiktok and other social networks to personal appeals to persuade voters to go out and vote. ... It's hard to say which parties will benefit from abstention. Over the years, however, it has become clear that non-participation in elections tends to have a negative impact on left-wing parties. It may also benefit far-right parties because their voters are more likely to exercise their right to vote. Whether the hunt for couch voters works will become clear the day after the election, when we know who has voted.”
Better to use the carrot
At just under 29 percent, voter turnout in the Czech Republic for the last European elections was among the lowest in Europe, Mladá fronta dnes complains, and looks at ways to increase participation:
“What about introducing compulsory voting, as former President Miloš Zeman long advocated? In Belgium, Italy and elsewhere in Europe, compulsory voting is enshrined in law and citizens face fines if they don't vote. However, these countries have not had the historical experience of the 'duty' to vote that we had under socialism. But how about a tax write-off for those who vote in elections, as is the case for blood donors? Rather than penalties, it would be better to offer a small reward.”