Brussels, 14/06/2004 (Agence Europe) - Two German Euro-MPs from different sides of the fence- Social Democrat Jo Leinen and Christian Democrat Hartmut Nassauer- have similar ideas on how to solve the problem of increased voter apathy at these elections, ahead of the European elections of 2009. Both MEPs feel that the electorate would be more interested in voting if candidates to the Presidency of the European Commission were presented before the elections, rather than afterwards, as has been the case this year.
The political families should present their candidates, said Jo Leinen in a press release (and referring to the Commission as the "European government"), because "this kind of personification would make the process more political", and "the political parties would have to conduct a European electoral campaign".
In another press release, Hartmut Nassauer underlines that if there were several candidates for the post of Commission President, the voters would doubtless be more interested in the elections to the EP.