EUROPEAN DIARY:Europe is already gearing up for parliamentary elections next June, writes Jamie Smyth
THERE ARE still six months to go before Europe's 490 million citizens get the chance to elect new MEPs but the campaign among the main political groups is already under way.
Last week in Madrid the Party of European Socialists (PES) launched its manifesto for next June's elections to the European Parliament, which is called People First: A New Direction for Europe.
The 15-page document covers six key areas: relaunching the economy, social Europe, climate change, gender equality, migration, and the EU on the international stage.
One of its big policy recommendations is for a reform of Europe's financial markets with tougher regulation and limits on top executive pay and bonuses. The socialist manifesto also calls for Europe to adopt the Lisbon Treaty.
"It presents a dream with no plan. Their ideas are neither new nor original," said French MEP Joseph Daul, who heads the rival EPP-ED group in the parliament, which has the largest number of MEPs. The EPP is preparing to launch its manifesto next year.
The third biggest group in the parliament, the liberals, were first off the mark launching their own manifesto for the elections in Stockholm at the end of October. Much like the socialist manifesto, the liberals also call for the implementation of the Lisbon treaty.
All eyes in Brussels are now focused on whether Libertas founder Declan Ganley will carry through with his threat to launch a pan-European party to try to turn the European elections into a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty. Ganley, who spoke at an event in Brussels last night, is busy hiring staff, raising money and seeking candidates to run in a number of EU member states such as the Czech Republic, Ireland, France and Bulgaria.
There are real fears in Brussels that eurosceptic parties and newcomers like Ganley could capitalise on the tough economic climate and the controversy surrounding the failure of the Lisbon referendum in Ireland. Swedish European affairs minister Cecilia Malmström recently warned the "institutional limbo" may lead to a new Euroscepticism. This was also one of the reasons the European Parliament's constitutional affairs committee has asked Taoiseach Brian Cowen to hold a referendum in the spring rather than October.
But it's not just a revival of Euroscepticism that concerns EU officials. Voter apathy is also a huge concern. Since the first direct European Parliament elections were held in 1979, voter turnout has steadily declined. In the last elections in 2004, just 45.5 per cent of citizens cast a ballot, compared to 63 per cent in 1979. The turnout in some of the new member states such as Slovakia and Poland was embarrassing, with just 17 per cent and 20 per cent of people casting ballots. In Ireland voter turnout was a respectable 60 per cent.
The potential for another slump in turnout is felt keenly in Brussels where there are grave fears it could damage the union's credibility and possibly allow extreme parties to get candidates elected.
Last week communications commissioner Margot Wallström highlighted her concerns in a letter to European Parliament president Hans-Gert Pöttering, noting the "legitimacy of your parliament, and that of the union as a whole, is at stake."
In the letter, which has been obtained by The Irish Times, Wallström says the commission is fully committed to work with the parliament and member states to try to "reverse the downward trend in participation". She says the commission will spend €17 million on activities designed to publicise the parliamentary elections across Europe.
The commission strategy focuses on six elements: commission representations in EU states; TV and radio; internet; multipliers; the media; and monitoring/research. The representations will seek to target the "women electorate and first-time voters in their local activities".
These will range from hosting conferences/debates to provide platforms for political parties to express their views on topics related to the campaign. The commission will use its contacts with major media to request national, regional and local broadcasters to show more programmes about European issues during the campaign.
The commission will use the internet as an important vehicle for the campaign by producing video clips to promote the elections and placing them on EU-tube and other websites. It will also seek to mobilise European networks, NGOS and other organisations that work with the commission on the issue. The Europe Direct service, which answers EU-related questions for the public, will remind every caller to vote in the elections.
"I hope that through our collective actions we will be able to contribute to reversing the trend in order to have a good turnout next June," concludes Wallström in the letter, which calls on the parliament and EU states to work together to popularise the elections.
In Ireland all citizens will get their chance to vote some time between June 4th-7th.