EU gears up for biggest transnational election

Nearly 375 million European citizens will choose 736 Members of the European Parliament between June 4 and 7, hence participating in the biggest transnational election on this planet.

Kamna Arora

Twenty-seven countries will vie for seats in one Parliament. Nearly 375 million European citizens will choose 736 Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) between June 4 and 7, hence participating in the biggest transnational election on this planet. Blue posters, stickers and billboards have been pasted across Europe to draw attention of eligible voters to the forthcoming elections. The reason behind this initiative by the Parliament is to firm up the plummeting average voter turnout. Since the first European elections held 30 years ago, voter turnout has been on continuous downhill. Nevertheless, the EU Parliament has continued to expand its power sphere. The European election is not a win-or-lose poll. In fact, the result of this election decides the ‘relative weights of the biggest political blocks’. According to German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, voter turnout will “depend largely on how positively we speak about Europe and the reform process” in the new (Lisbon) treaty. Unfortunately, election posters in Berlin do not even bring up the issue of the Lisbon treaty. What is the Treaty of Lisbon? Time-to-time reform is the key to success of an individual or an organisation. Hence, to usher in change, EU leaders on December 13, 2007 inked the Treaty of Lisbon, thus ending years of talks regarding institutional issues. Briefly, the treaty was required to modernise the EU as per the complexities of current issues faced by the body. The treaty would help the EU acquire the means needed to confront “today`s challenges in today`s world”. The Treaty of Lisbon makes changes in the current EU and EC treaties, without actually replacing them. The treaty would help the EU gain “more efficiency in the decision-making process, more democracy through a greater role for the European Parliament and national parliaments; and increased coherence externally.” If the Lisbon Treaty comes into force, it will radically add to the number of policy areas where MEPs play a crucial role. Notably, Ireland`s electorate discarded the Lisbon treaty last June, sparking a major crisis in the block. Out of 27 EU member states, only Ireland is “constitutionally bound to hold a referendum on the treaty”. Powers of European Parliament The European Parliament is the only part of the European Union bureaucracy that is directly chosen by voters. The Parliament is extremely significant for EU citizens since it is assigned with preparing various laws, regulations and directives that member states must conform to. In fact, the Parliament also plays a role in the election of the EU executive -- European Commission. Not only this, the body has the power to even sack the EC. It affects about half the spending in the EU’s annual budget. As per the EP’s promotional material, the Parliament’s votes “shape final EU legislation that influences our everyday life, be it the food on our plates, the cost of our shopping, the quality of the air we breathe, or the safety of our children’s toys.” Why varying dates of elections? The elections will take place from June 04 to June 07, 2009. Different dates have been finalised as per local custom in the member states. On June 04, the UK and the Netherlands will go to polls. Voting in Czech Republic and Ireland will take place on June 05. June 06 will be the polling day in Cyprus, Latvia, Malta and Slovakia. Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden will go to polls on June 07. Not just the date, but the system of voting also varies from country to country. However, all the member states use some form of proportional representation. Some of the countries have a nationwide constituency, while some have a threshold that a party has to pass to be eligible for a share of the seats. The number of MEPs elected by countries also varies as per the member state’s population. The most populous member state, Germany, has 99 MEPs, while Malta, the least populous, has only five. If the Lisbon Treaty is approved, the total number of MEPs will increase from 736 to 751. Countdown begins Surveys have indicated that the British MPs’ expenses scandal could help far-right parties perform better in EU elections. Meanwhile, Germany`s Bild newspaper reports that the Socialists have been making all possible efforts to stop the centre-right Jose Manuel Barroso from becoming European Commission chief for the second time. In France, President Sarkozy`s centre-right UMP party seems to be ahead of the Socialist opposition. Danish polls indicate that established MPs - such as Morten Messerschmidt, Jens Rohde and Bent Bendtsen – may be able to retain their seats.