Posted on 06/14/2004 12:43:14 PM PDT by knighthawk
Governing parties across Europe have expressed dismay at the European election results, which have been characterised by low turnout and significant gains by Eurosceptic and opposition parties. Anthony Browne, The Times Europe Correspondent, left, reports from Brussels.
Are there discernible voting trends across Europe?
There are three. The first is that electorates across Europe have massively punished incumbent governments, particularly those that have been in office for more than 12 months. This was the case in the UK, France, Germany and Italy.
The second trend is the rise of the Eurosceptics. A disparate group of Eurosceptic parties made significant headway in Sweden, picking up three seats, the UK, Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland and Lithuania.
The final factor is voter apathy – people just did not bother to vote. Although turnout was up in Britain, the overall turnout across the European Union was 45.5 per cent. This compares with 49.8 per cent in the last election five years ago and continues the downward trend in voting figures since the first Europe-wide election in 1979, when 63 per cent turned out to vote.
European parliamentary officials have described the turnout as "pathetically low". Yet although there were record low turnouts in France and Italy, it was the ten new accession countries that were the worst. Their average turnout was around 26 per cent, with Poland one of the worst offenders, with fewer than 20 per cent turning out to vote.
Why have so many governing parties fared poorly in these elections?
The economies in countries such as France and Germany are stagnating, which has increased voters' disaffection with their governments. France and Germany are also trying to push through much-needed, but unpopular, welfare reforms.
The European project has also made an increasingly large impact upon the private lives of European citizens over the last five years – and the rejection of governing parties is a likely reaction against this trend.
There is also the issue of Iraq, which has been a factor for those countries that supported the US-led invasion: the UK, Italy, the Netherlands and Denmark.
What impact will this have on Europe's parliament?
The slightly bizarre bit is that the overall balance in the European Parliament remains almost exactly the same. The Eurosceptic parties have gained a few seats and there are a few fringe parties that have lost a few seats, but otherwise it is pretty much as it was.
The number of MEPs who are hostile to the European Union now amounts to as much as 15 or 20 per cent. This Eurosceptic group cannot dominate parliament, but it may be able to hold the balance on a few votes.
These Eurosceptic MEPs are a very disparate group which includes representatives of fundamentalist religious groups from the Netherlands and Poland, the National Front in France, and the UK Independence Party, as well as anti-Europe socialist parties.
How has Europe's political elite responded?
By trying its best to ignore the rise of the Eurosceptic vote. Parliamentary officials have said that individual governments need to work harder to get the message across to their citizens that the European Union is a benefit to us all.
Talks on the proposed European Constitution are set to go ahead as planned later this week, with Europe's foreign ministers meeting today in Luxembourg to hammer out agreement on parts of the Constitution. Then on Thursday and Friday, Europe's heads of state will meet to strike agreement on the most sensitive issues, with a deal expected to be done by the end of the week.
If people want on or off this list, please let me know.
The people speak, and the apparatchiks openly say they just need to swallow more propaganda. It doesn't surprise me that government wouldn't listen to the people -- but it's slightly shocking that government would openly say it's made up it's mind on what's right, and the people are just going to have to get on board.
Why should the tax dollars of these citizens be used to either promote or refute the EU? The national government should be neutral regarding whether the people desire an additional government.
Looks like our friends in east europe took chirac's advice and availed themselves of an "opportunity to shut up." Sad. Any thoughts on why turnout was so poor in those countries, knighthawk?
My take on the poor turnout: Europeans know that a socialist European super-state is a bad idea. But they think they can get a free lunch out of it. Especially in Eastern Europe. They know socialism doesn't work, but they think they can mooch of the wealthier west. They are in for the money, but don't much care about the policy.
And they'll be in for a big surprise when they find themselves enslaved to western europe's economic interests.
I don't think it will only be the Eastern Europeans that are surprised. The EU is an effort to remake communism on a fully industrialized continental scale. The Eastern Europeans just slipped out from under the Soviet boot, but they, and Western Europeans as well, will soon find themselves under Brussels' boot. America could save Europe from the Soviets, but cannot save them from themselves.
I beg to disagree, the voter apathy is simple to see....no matter who they vote for the system is stacked against the individual.
The EU Parliament has no power and all the decisions are taken by an unelected EU Commission.
Imagine the voters in the EU as 450 million people thrown into a bus with no choice of destination, no choice of driver,however, by the rules they can elect 700 to shout at
the 25 with their hands on the wheel.
Therefore, as the commercial states "We are doomed".
I have a friend who is a Polish journalist working over here in the States. He told me that the Polish worship Ronald Reagan, are grateful to us for freeing them from the soviets but are still trapped in the belief that the state will "take care of them." He believes that at least one more generation will have to go by before they begin to understand that freedom means doing for themselves. One thing I have to give the russians -- they sure are good at brain-washing people.
With what part of my assessment do you disagree? I see your point and mine as different perspectives on the same thing. The 25 with their hands on the wheel (your point) are steering straight for communism (my point). The promise of unearned wealth keeps them in line, keeps them from mutinying and taking over the bus.
You are right...the problem is one of philosophy. The Europeans, and the American "elite", have wholesale adopted Kantian philosophy, which is also the root of communism. Most Americans are philisophically confused, but there are at least glimmers of enlightenment era philosophy left that opposes Kantianism. The key opposition to Kantianism comes not from within philosophy, but from the substitution of religion for philosophy. America's religion is its last bulwark against the pervasive left.
With the EU system skewed in favor of the unelected elite and self appointed, the voter has little or no say, hence apathy.
The Europeans, subserviant for centuries to monarchs and their dynasties, are dealing with a new Royalty....that of the Eurocrat and therefore for the first time since Charlie Degaulle, this Sunday millions of voters said "Non".
The EU comission is not steering towards communism but towards sheer unbridled power and a lust for control....and if it means broken promises of social utopia, let it be,after all the intentions were good.
Put bluntly, the difference between a Eurocrat and a Democrat is location,location,location.
Apparently our difference of opinion is whether the Eurocrats are dragging Europe to hell accidentally or deliberately. Communism always was about unbridled power and lust for control, the rhetoric was just intellectual cover. And you'll note that the philisophical roots and rhetoric of Eurocrats and Communists is the same.
Here is a test: Is the idea "From each according to his ability, to each according to his need." a good or evil proposition? Both the Eurocrats and communists (and democrats) will think it is a good idea. It is derived from their philisophical roots. I will say it is evil and a violation of individual rights.
Unelected, unaccountable bureaucrats dictating law to the people? Sounds like a totalitarian dictorship to me.
They will be digging their own graves if they ignore this.
Not if they vote for the extreme right.
Ooops, spelling error! Should have been..."Q&A: is Europe Euroseptic?"
--Boot Hill
Tragically the extreme right in Europe carries not only the stigma of fascism but also its attendent behavior.
In short the average EU citizen has no where to turn, to the right are the Nazi's, to the left are the communists
and in the centre are EU federalists.Hence the appeal of parties like the UKIP.
bttt
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.