The EP elections are coming closer and closer, but I still don't really have the feeling that there is a real campaign going on, even less than 2 1/2 month before the big event.
Some little discussions here, some small campaign activities there, electoral lists are getting finalised, materials prepared. But I don't feel a real debate about the issues - not to speak about the persons, the latter being roughly quieted thanks to more or less tacit agreement on Barroso as coming EU Commission president.
I suppose that things might get a bit more visible, more lively in the near future, but I am still kind of disappointed that besides some increasing online activity of some candidates there is not much politics happening, especially not on the European level.
400 Million people, one of the largest democratic electorates on the planet, are asked to vote for what shall be the next European Parliament. No matter how uninfluencial, how ignored, how self-referential, how provincial this institution and its competence are: It remains still one of the largest democratic institution in the world. Just that nobody seems to care - including, most astonishingly, the political actors involved.
Imagine there are European elections, and no one wants to discuss European issues...!
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Under the category "European parliament elections 2009" I am following up national and European activities on the path to the European Parliament elections 2009.
For an overview over all articles in this category have a look at the overview article.
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Tuesday, 24 March 2009
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3 comments:
Noone cares and I would say no citizen will care as long as politicians will consider EU elections as a short time race instead of a long run. I'm only talking of citizens in general...
As for the more European of us, I could be bored to death and say: why vote since we know the EC will go for another 5 years of passivity?
Last week EPP de facto nominated Barroso as their candidate for the position of Commission president. He is backed not only by them but also by socialist Zapatero and Socrates (!) - meaning Barroso is the next president no matter what is the largest group in the EP! Where is the debate? Where are the options? Where is the voters say?
Why does not PES nominate a contra candidate? If all parties, and socialists in particular, nominated their candidates we would have some real debate and real campaigning - putting faces on the choices. I asked Rasmussen and he said “we have not decided if we will do it YET”. Well maybe it is slowly time to do it…. At least if Europe’s voters should get any influence on the composition of Europe’s executive and if their votes should have any real effect.
This weekend the Greens are having their Congress - lets see if they are prepared to take the lead to make Europe more democratic - unfortunately I doubt it…
More on this topic under the federalist blog: http://federalists.cafebabel.com/en/
My words. (@ asa)
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