Brussels, 10/09/2013 (Agence Europe) - How can European citizens be made interested in Europe and got to vote in the European elections on 22 to 25 May 2014? Turnout for European elections has fallen and the idea of European integration is being undermined by the economic crisis.
This is the challenge that the European Parliament (EP) will be tackling in its information campaign launched on Tuesday 10 September. Only 43% of eligible voters turned out to vote in the European elections of 2009 and 45.47% in 2004. The new campaign has a budget of €16 million for the year and will continue until the next president of the European Commission is appointed.
Act/React/Impact is the slogan for the first phase of the campaign, explained on Tuesday the two EP vice-presidents with responsibility for communication, Anni Podimata (S&D, Greece) and Othmar Karas (EPP, Austria), noting: “Most laws now originate at EU level, which makes the European Parliament at least as powerful as any national one. Voters therefore need to know what decisions are taken in 'Brussels' (or Strasbourg) and how they can influence those decisions”. There is not a new EU treaty to explain at these European elections, but the EP is able to boast a gain: the next head of the European Commission will be appointed on the basis of the election results. The most recent poll, on Friday 6 September, showed that people in Europe would be more likely to vote if they knew in advance the names of the shortlist for the next president of European Commission.
The second part of the campaign will run from October 2013 to February 2014 and will highlight five key topics - the economy, jobs, quality of life, money and the EU in the world - at a series of interactive events in European cities.
The third phase, the election campaign proper, will start in February. The final phase will run after the elections until the new president of the European Commission is chosen and the new European Commission is inaugurated, explained the MEPs. “There is a perception that EU political decision-taking in the current economic crisis has lacked proper legitimacy. People, EU voters, have the exclusive possibility to determine the political majorities of the Parliament, which will set the course for forging legislation, challenging bad policies and leading the debate in the five years following the elections”, said Podimata. Karas pointed out: “The European Parliament is the Chamber of EU citizens - we are the citizens' voice in the EU decision-making process”, and the EP would try to reduce the number of decisions taken behind closed doors. (SP/transl.fl)