With one hundred days to go until the elections on 6 to 9 June, on Thursday 22 February the European Parliament set out a series of measures to support both journalists and the general public in monitoring the election campaign. The aim is both to strengthen democratic commitment and to ensure full and transparent media coverage.
‘What Europe does for me’. Launched in 2019, this website (https://aeur.eu/f/ayk ) has been completely updated to reflect the European Union’s recent actions over the last 5 years. It aims to present the impact of European policies on the daily lives of citizens in different regions, simplifying the language and focusing on concrete examples. This site is available in all the languages of the European Union and offers a citizen’s perspective rather than a political one.
Election results. On the evening of 9 June, the European Parliament will be releasing election data in real time. Information from the surveys and partial results provided by the Member States will be harmonised and presented on a dedicated website, which will be launched on 1 March (https://aeur.eu/f/ayl ). This presentation will include national estimates, progressive updates and, after 8pm, a projection of the Chamber based on these estimates. Updates will continue until 11pm, then on the following days, until the July constituent.
Different sections are planned: results at European and national level, information on gender balance and electoral participation. A ‘widget’ will be created to integrate the results on other websites. An electronic signature system will guarantee the integrity of published data.
Partnership with ENEX. On Thursday 22 February, representatives of the European Parliament also signed a memorandum of understanding with the European News Exchange (ENEX), which represents 55 private television channels. The aim of this partnership is to strengthen cooperation in order to ensure extensive and balanced coverage of the European elections, thereby promoting quality journalism and understanding of EU affairs. (Original version in French by Nithya Paquiry)