Although only one in two European voters went to the polls for the 2019 European elections, the highest turnout rate in 20 years continues to be welcomed (see EUROPE 12264/4).
The leaders of the European Parliament's groups hailed the results in a declaration at the end of the Conference of Presidents. “The 2019 European elections open a new chapter in Europe's political and democratic cycle. The significant increase in participation across Europe proves that European democracy is alive and well”, they stressed in their statement (see other news), adding that voters had given the new Parliament a “renewed and strengthened mandate” for the next 5 years.
The European Economic and Social Committee also welcomed the participation rate. For the institution's president, Luca Jahier, “the level of public debate in all the capitals and the impressive growth in turnout of over 50%, not seen in more than twenty years, are signals that nobody can ignore”. “A Europe of diversity won these elections”, he said in a statement, recalling that, for the first time since 1979, the domination of Christian-democrats and socialists had ended. “This could be the right moment to show great European leadership that delivers #rEUnaissance and ensures a strong sustainable development agenda”, he added.
Indeed, in these elections, despite some success for the populists in Hungary, the United Kingdom, Italy and even France, the “much-feared triumph of the populist movement didn’t happen”, according to Mr Jahier, who added that if the EU does not succeed in its rebirth, next time, “we will have real difficulty in containing the populist wave”.
Local authorities want to provide information about the EU
For the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) too, "the turnout is good news: Europeans feel concerned”. But CEMR did not forget that almost one in two voters did not go to the polls. “Much remains to be analysed as regards citizens' abstention, whether the underlying reasons point to a lack of understanding of the role of the Parliament, or a prioritisation of national issues”, CEMR said. And in order to raise awareness of the EU among abstentionists, CEMR Secretary General Frédéric Vallier stressed that local and regional elected representatives were ready to take “measures to raise awareness [among Europeans] on the impact of the EU in our daily lives”. “This is why we call for the organisation of EU citizen dialogues every year around Europe Day in every municipality", he proposed.
CEMR president and president of the Italian region of Emilia Romagna, Stefano Bonaccini, expressed concern that with Parliament still divided, the rise of anti-European forces could slow down important decisions and drive European citizens even further away from the EU.
And CEMR also regretted that parity has not been more effective in the European Parliament, even if the number of female representatives has increased. While only one third of the MEPs were women in the outgoing Parliament, they are expected to represent 40% of the members in this new Parliament.
To Anna Lisa Boni of Eurocities, the network of major European cities, two things stand out from the vote: the turnout rate and the move from the centrist parties towards other parties, notably pro-European forces, which may bring about change. “People are asking to do politics differently”, she added, specifying that her organization can help generate this change.
Moreover, while the European Federation of Investors and Financial Services Users, BETTER FINANCE, welcomed with satisfaction the “greatly increased participation rate” of European citizens in the European elections, it is concerned “about the larger share of nationalist politicians in the European Parliament, because improved and harmonised protection of European savers does not seem to be among their priorities, as indicated by the absence of answers from these political groups to the BETTER FINANCE pre-election questionnaire” (see EUROPE 12255/17). (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant with MM, intern)