How can we persuade people to vote?
I’ve just attended a post-election analysis in Brussels hosted by the European Policy Centre think tank where the big issue was the low turnout.
Just 43 per cent of Europeans bothered to cast a vote with
Slovakia again ranked bottom of the league in terms of turnout at just 19.6 per cent.
Privately, many EU officials are heaving huge sighs of relief because at one point they thought turnout could slump to 33 per cent. This would have raised serious questions about the legitimacy of the whole EU project and handed eurosceptics a powerful tool to use in their attacks on the Union.
So what’s the problem with European elections- why don’t people vote?
Certainly, the EU is more distant than national parliaments for voters and it doesn’t legislate on the big issues of taxation, health and social security, which tend to prompt vigorous debate. Also, as someone pointed out today 43 per cent turnout isn’t bad considering many people struggle to name even one MEP- and personalities matter in politics. But they tend to be strangely absent from the debate in the European elections in many countries.
However, in France Danny ‘the Red’ Cohn Bendit showed what a recognised face can do. (The French Greens more than doubled their vote to 15 per cent and now rival the French Socialists). And in Ireland the Declan Ganley factor added extra spice to the elections at home.
But some of the blame must also rest with the voting systems in many EU states, which do not favour making personalities an issue. The infamous “list system” used in Britain and many continental EU states means MEPs from the same party aren’t competing against one another. It also hands party bosses the power to select who will get a seat and who doesn’t rather than the public.
In contrast, the Irish system gives voters the chance to choose their individual candidates, which may have helped turnout reach 57 per cent at home. Of course, it can have a downside by accentuating parish pump politics forcing MEPs to fix pot holes and speed ramps but on the whole its probably good for democracy.
Another healthy sign in the Irish election was the focus on existing MEP’s record. For example Mary Lou McDonald, who lost her seat, had the worst attendance record of all 13 MEPs. This was highlighted in the campaign and may have been a factor in her unsuccessful campaign.
The victorious 12 MEPs, who head off to Strasbourg next month for their first plenary session, should take note.
Some other ideas that could spark more interest in the elections are: making all political groups select a candidate for European Commission president prior to the election to give voters a choice of candidate (The Socialists failure to do this prior to the elections was a big mistake); each country should elect their commissioner in the elections rather than allow governments to chose them; create a European public services broadcaster to carry news of the election and campaign in every state. Has anyone got any other bright ideas?
