European elections - comment

Conservatives stay dominant in the European Parliament

Except the far-right parties, seats in the European Parliament are won even by the one-issue parties, such as the Swedish Pirate party, which advocates shortening the duration of copyright protection and allowing non-commercial file-sharing. The success of small parties, besides, lies in the modest interest of Europeans for EU election


By NENAD RADICEVIC
* a foreign affairs journalist with Politika daily
Story from CEV magazine - an online publication of the Centre for European Values


The centre right group of the European People's Party and the European Democrats (EPP-ED) will maintain its place as first biggest group in the European Parliament for the next five years, shows first projections after finishing of EU elections. Besides, the 2009 European elections were marked by the lowest ever turnout since direct elections for the EU Parliament started thirty years ago and by the entry of many small parties which would set the 736-seat assembly more fragmented.

According to first predictions, the centre-right EPP-ED group will have between 263 and 273 seats (currently it has 288) in the EU assembly, the Party of European Socialists (PES) will have from 155 to 165 seats (currently 217), the Liberals around 81 (currently 100) and the Greens will have 54 seats (currently 43).

The result of election was marked by a rise in representation of the far-right parties, especially from the Netherlands, Austria, Romania, Hungary and the UK. Despite making progress in some countries, far-right groups appeared not to have had major gains what EU leaders accepted with a relief.

Except the far-right parties, seats in the European Parliament are won even by the one-issue parties, such as the Swedish Pirate party, which advocates shortening the duration of copyright protection and allowing non-commercial file-sharing. The success of small parties, besides, lies in the modest interest of Europeans for EU election.

European elections are marked by the record low turnout of 43.5 percent of the 375 million EU citizens, while Slovakia registered the lowest score of turnout for the second time in a row. Only 19.6 percent of Slovakia's citizens voted on EU elections, which is a little bit better then five years ago when Slovakia registered the lowest ever score in the EU`s history at 17 percent.

Lithuania came second with 20.5 percent which is a huge fall compared to its first participation in EU election in 2004, when 48.4 percent of Lithuanians voted. Some 25 percent of citizens voted in the Czech Republic, 27.4 percent in Slovenia, 27.2 percent in Romania and 37.5 percent in Bulgaria which is up from 29 percent in the country`s first participation in EU by-election in 2007.

Except Luxembourg and Belgium where voting is compulsory and turnout is traditionally around 90 percent, the figures on the turnout were highest in Malta (almost 79 percent), Italy (71.7 percent), Denmark (62.5 percent), Greece (60 percent), Cyprus (60 percent) and Latvia (53 percent).

Speaking at a press conference after the announcement of the results, the leaders of the European Parliament's main parties said they were concerned about the low turnout.

Liberal leader Graham Watson said they needed to study "why people don't go out and vote". According to him, citizens' will to vote would increase if they saw a stronger link between their vote and EU decision-making, namely if the European Commission president were appointed from the ranks of the European Parliament, or a certain percentage of MEPs were elected from pan-European lists.

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso called on national politicians to introduce more a more European angle to their politics, while the Parliament's outgoing president Hans-Gert Poettering from the centre-right EPP-ED group said that they had to increase turnout, but "this does not mean going back to the old system where MEPs were appointed by national parliaments."

According to the Socialist leader in the EP, Martin Schulz, the low turnout shows that "the vote doesn`t have much to do with European policy." He underlines that there's a trend towards the re-nationalisation of Europe which could eventually raise the question of the legitimacy of the elections.

But it seems that publishing the first result was very bitter experience mostly for the European Socialists, who had hoped to make major gains at the polls by campaigns that slammed centre-right leaders for failing to rein in financial markets and spend enough to stimulate faltering economies. The Socialists were very disappointed especially since they had been hoping for around 200 seats in the European Parliament.

"Tonight is a very difficult evening for Socialists in many nations in Europe," said Martin Schulz after the announcement of the first results, adding they will continue to fight for social democracy in Europe.

In Schulz's native Germany, the Social Democrats, a junior partner in the governing coalition, polled around 22 percent, which is their worst showing in a nationwide election since the Second World War. Four months before Germany holds its own national election, the outcome improves conservative Chancellor Angela Merkel`s expectations of ending the tense left-right "grand coalition" in Berlin.

The ruling centre-right parties were ahead of the opposition in France, Italy and Belgium, while conservative opposition parties were leading in Spain and significantly in Britain. Greece was an exception, where the governing conservatives were headed for defeat following economic woes and corruption scandals.

Also, Ireland's ruling party suffered a record defeat in European and local elections, signalling that the Lisbon Treaty's endorsement will not be so automatic and uncomplicated in a likely October referendum.

On the other side, some of extreme parties have succeeded to win at least one seat so there is a fear that they will use the European Parliament as a platform for their extreme views.

The British National Party, which does not accept nonwhites as members and advocates an end to all immigration and the resettlement of those previously granted asylum in Britain, was expected to possibly win more then one seat.

In the Netherlands, Geert Wilders' anti-Islamic party won four seats by taking 17 percent of the country's votes, while the rightist Freedom Party in Austria, which campaigned on an anti-Islam platform as well, more than doubled its power over the 2004 elections to 13.1 percent of the vote. The Hungarian far-right Jobbik party, which won three of 22 seats, describes itself as Euro-skeptic and anti-immigration despite critics underline the party is racist and anti-Semitic.

The question remains how big an effect the anti-EU camp will have on the workings of the Parliament and whether it will be able to mount a cohesive force.

"I expect from those parties that don't have a pro-European attitude that they cooperate fairly and objectively with all the others in the European Parliament," said Hans-Gert Poettering, adding that he is very pleased to see that the pro-European parties - the EPP, the PES, the Liberals and the Greens - have achieved a good, solid majority in the European Parliament.

The new parliament will have its constitutive session from 14 to 16 July when it is expected to elect its own president as well as vote on the nominee for president of the European Commission.


(Published: 20.06.2009.)