The right wing came out ahead in the European elections that took place in the 28 EU Member States between 22nd and 25th May. The European People’s Party (EPP) won 28.36% of the vote and 213 seats – a number in decline in comparison with the previous election 4th-7th June 2009 (- 61 seats). The drop in the number of Christian Democrats has not been to the benefit of the Socialists and Democrats (S&D) which won 25.17% of the vote and 189 seats (-7). The Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) took third place in the European election with 8.52% of the vote and 64 seats (- 19). The Greens/European Free Alliance won 6.92% of the vote and 52 seats (-5). The European Conservatives and Reformers (CRE/ECR) won 6.13% of the vote and 46 seats (- 11); they came ahead of the United European Left/Nordic Green Left (GUE/NGL), which won 5.59% of the vote and 42 seats (+ 7). Europe of Freedom and Democracy (ELD/EFD) won 5.06% of the vote and 38 seats (+7). Finally the non-attached won 5.46% of the vote and 41 seats (+ 8). There remain 66 new MEPs who do not belong to any political group; together they won 8.79% of the vote. For the first time in the history of the European elections turnout was up slightly. It totalled 43.09% ie+0.9% in comparison with the election on 4th-7th June 2009.
The president of the Robert Schuman Foundation, Jean-Dominique Giuliani, published an editorial on his website on the results of the European elections. He analyzes the rise of populism in Europe aggregated “to an old latent euroscepticism” and numerous critics on the European Union during the crisis. According to him, the eurosceptic challenge is both launched to the European institutions and the Member States. “This requires requires to tell the truth, to make some choice, first at home, before sharing them,” he says.
You can find on our site results of the European elections and results by country.
→ Link to the Fondation Schuman’s results page
→ Link to the European Parliament’s results page
According to a barometer released by the Spanish private research institute Elcano, the Spanish people stay pro-Europeans, in spite of the crisis, and despite their limited knowledge of the European Union and of its institutions. According to this study, around 60% of the Spanish people who answered this survey said that Spains membership to the EU had been beneficial for Spain. For Carmen Gonzalez, a researcher of this institute, Spain remains a pro-European country that is clearly in favour of the membership to the EU, to the Euro, to Schengen etc. But if the Spanish people are pro-Europeans, most of them are indifferent to the EU or don’t know it well. As such, 69% of the Spanish people don’t know who the president of the European Commission is and 72% admit that they aren’t aware of European affairs. What’s more, for 44% of them, the European elections are not very or not at all important. Spain will elect its MEPs on May 25th as will Les Espagnols voteront dimanche 25 mai tout comme 19 autres pays de l’Union européenne.
Access to the barometer (in Spanish)
See the list running for the European election in Spain
After the United-Kingdom and the Netherlands, it is now time for voters in Czech Republic and in Ireland to go and cast their votes for their representatives in the European Parliament. In Ireland polling stations will be open from 7.00 am until 10.00 pm. In the Czech Republic they will stay open from 2:00pm until 10:00pm, and again tomorrow Saturday, May 24, from 8:00 to 2:00pm.
To find out more about the running candidates, check the interactive map on the dedicated Fondation Robert Schuman’s website
According to a survey conducted by AFIS from 18th of May , the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP ) would get 17.9 % of the vote , while the center-right party GERB 17.6% of votes, when the Movement for Rights and Freedoms ( DPS) 8.3% of votes , followed by Bulgaria without Censorship of the former TV host Nikolay Barekov by 6.7% of votes. However, the low interest of citizens in the European elections and a low turnout (in 2009, the turnout represented 38.99 %), would give an advantage to the Bulgarian Socialist Party BSP. Taking into account the rate of voters who do not yet know if they will present to the polls, the results would be: GERB 23.5%, BSP 24.6%, Bulgaria without Censorship 13.4% and DPS 12.8 %. In the context of an expected turnout of 30-35 % which includes 2.1 to 2,400,000 voters, it is very likely that 17 MEP seats in Bulgaria are distributed among the first four parts : 6 seats for GERB and BSP , 3 seats for DPS and 2 seats for Bulgaria without censorship , according to the survey agency AFIS .
According to the exit polls undertaken in the Netherlands, turnout in this country for the European elections should reach 37% of the voters (from 36.75% in 2009). The Christian Democratic Party CDA should win 4 seats (from 5 in 2009) and is neck to neck with the centre-right party D66, which should also win 4 seats (from 3 in 2009). The score of Geert Wilders’ far-right party PVV seems to be below the pre-election polls, as it might lose one seat. Results are to be confirmed on Sunday evening, when all polling stations will have closed throughout the European Union. After the United-Kingdom and the Netherlands, it is now the Czech Republic and Ireland’s turn to go and cast their vote.
The institute of survey YouGov asked early May to 1002 French and 1004 Germans on behalf of Arte and Huffington Post about their wishes for the future of Europe and their current statement of the European Union. For 54% of Germans and 50% of French, the main advantage is the ability to travel in a Europe without borders with your ID card. Followed by peace (44% of French and 37% of Germans) and the euro (35% of both sides). More than a third of French welcomes also the possibility to study (36%) and work (34%) in any European country. But in both countries, there are 15% of “eurosceptic”respondents. These say they did not take any advantage of the suggested achievements.
The European elections have started in the United-Kingdom and the Netherlands. Every European citizens register to vote are called to cast their ballot and choose their representatives in the European Parliament for the next five years. Polling stations are open since 5.30am and until 7pm in the Netherlands, and since 6am until 9pm in the United-Kingdom.
To find out more about the running candidates, check the interactive map on the dedicated Fondation Robert Schuman’s website
As the European elections will be held on May 25th in Denmark as in 19 other member states of the European Union, the latest poll on the Danishs’ vote intentions, realised by the polling institute Epinion, shows that the Danish People’s party, the far-right party of Denmark, should get most of the votes with 25% of voters who said they would vote for this party. With this result, the DPP could send three MEPs in the next legislature of the European Parliament. The second political force of this election should be the Venstre, the main liberal political party in Denmark, which should get 22% of the votes and gain three seats. The Social Democrats, the current Prime Minister’s party, should be the third political force and get 21% of the votes and also three seats in the next European Parliament. The Popular movement against the European Union, a radical-left party affiliated to the European Left, should get 8% of the votes and send one MEP in Strasbourg. The European Greens affiliated party, the Socialist People’s Party, and the EPP affiliated party, the Conservative people’s party, should each get 7% of the votes and one seat. Finally, the Danish Social Liberal Party, also affiliated to the ALDE, should get 6% of the votes and one seat in the European Parliament.
Access to Epinion’s poll (in Danish)
Access to the lists running for the European elections in Denmark