TURNOUT IN the upcoming European elections is likely to be higher in Ireland than in any other EU member state, according to the latest EU-wide opinion poll.
Two-thirds of Irish people say they will definitely vote in the June 5th election compared to an EU average of 43 per cent.
Belgium is the second highest ranked state for turnout, with 64 per cent of the public saying they will cast a ballot, while just 16 per cent of voters in Slovakia plan to vote.
The results are compiled in a TNS opinion poll commissioned by the European Parliament, which shows awareness of the elections is growing, with 43 per cent of EU voters now saying they definitely plan to vote. This compares with a survey conducted in February that found just 34 per cent of the European public said they were definitely going to cast a ballot.
“We note a clear increase in the intention to vote compared to the survey in January/February, but there is no guarantee that the turnout rate will be equivalent to that of 2004 at 45.47 per cent,” says a summary of the poll, which was published alongside the findings by the European Parliament.
Turnout has fallen at every European election since the first directly-elected parliament sat in 1979 and there are fears in Brussels that another record low turnout in these elections could undermine the legitimacy of the institution.
However, the TNS poll also recorded a growing interest in the elections since the last poll it conducted in February. Some 53 per cent of Europeans say they are interested in the elections, compared to 44 per cent who said so three months ago.
Ireland tops the rankings for the most interested electorate, with 72 per cent of voters saying they are interested in the elections and just 27 per cent saying they are uninterested. In comparison, just a quarter of Latvians say they are interested in the elections.
Ireland holds local elections on the same day as the European elections, which could account for the high level of interest. The unstable economic situation may also be a factor, analysts say.
Unemployment remains the most important issue for the public, with 57 per cent saying the election campaign should focus on creating jobs.
Economic growth is cited by voters as the second most important issue, while crime is ranked as the third most important campaign issue in the elections.