Exceptional participation in the European elections in May is due in particular to the contribution by young people. This is revealed by a post-electoral Eurobarometer survey published by the European Parliament on 12 July.
This survey, carried out among 28,000 citizens by an external company, shows that overall participation in the European elections increased by 8 points compared to 2014, to 50.6%. The largest increases were observed in Poland (+22 points), Romania (+19 points), Spain (+17 points), Austria (+15 points) and Hungary (+14 points). The main reason given for voting is civic duty.
Overall, it was young people and first-time voters who contributed to this increase. Their participation has doubled since the last elections, from 28% to 42%. Participation among 25-39 year olds increased from 35% to 47%.
The preliminary report, the results of which will be confirmed in September 2019, indicates that 56% of respondents believe that ‘their voice matters in the EU’, the highest result since this question was first asked in 2002. It also identifies the main concerns of voters, namely: the economy and growth (44%), climate change (37%), and human rights and democracy (37%). In 16 countries, respondents mentioned economy and growth as the most important electoral issues, while citizens of 8 countries mentioned climate change first.
The survey was carried out between 7 and 26 June 2019 in all 28 Member States. To consult the results of the survey: https://bit.ly/2JuIv8R (Sophie Petitjean)