The European Commission spokesman, Margaritis Schinas, welcomed on Monday 27 May the turnout in the European elections, up 8 points compared to 2014, and in which the result obtained by europhobes is less promising than expected.
“European democracy has spoken with a strong voice throughout the continent, with the highest participation in 20 years”, said Margaritis Schinas, who said that European democracy was “very much alive”.
The turnout rate of 50.93% (see EUROPE 12263/3) is the highest since the 1994 elections (56.67%). According to Mr Schinas, this score is “a testament of active involvement of Europeans engaging, participating and shaping with their vote the future of the Union”.
Moreover, the election of a pro-European majority means that the Commission will be able to count on a “constructive and engaged Parliament for the next institutional cycle”, the spokesman added. According to him, despite the good results obtained by the populists, “it is the pro-European forces across the political spectrum that have won, those who have won the elections are those who want to work in and for Europe, not those who want to destroy Europe”.
Civil society satisfied with the participation rate
The increasing participation rate has been welcomed by many European organisations from all backgrounds. “This second biggest democratic election in the world [after India] has shown, that citizens see Europe as their business! [...] It is also important that more European citizens have now participated in the vote than in 2014. This is a positive trend”, BusinessEurope stressed in a statement. “Europe matters to Europeans, we’ve seen a lively European democracy at work. We need to defend our place in the world, at a time when the European Union is facing huge challenges. The world is not waiting for us. We therefore need the EU institutions to be operational rapidly”, said Markus J. Beyrer, Director General of the employer organisation, in a statement.
The same is true at SMEunited. “The significant increase in participation shows that more and more people in Europe understand that Europe counts and that current challenges need European solutions”, said its President, Ulrike Rabmer-Koller. According to her, “the political centre [now] has to come forward with a joint programme and a Strategic Agenda to make Europe stronger, united and more forward looking”.
Good, but can do better
Caritas Europe's Secretary General, Maria Nyman, was more critical. While she described the election as “positive” because of the higher turnout than previously, “50% is still a low score for ensuring participatory democracy”. “We believe that future elections will need to be accompanied by increased commitment to ensure a strong democracy”, she advised, calling on new MEPs to work for an “inclusive and welcoming Europe and to defend global solidarity and sustainability”.
Laura Sullivan, Executive Director of WeMove, the umbrella organisation of the campaign “No to Hate, Yes to Change: One Europe for All” praised the participation rate, as well as the results. “The far-right did not rise enough to destroy the Parliament and the European project with their divisive interpretation of ‘change’”, she stressed. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)