Groningen’s Voice: Perspectives on the EU Election
Groningen’s Voice: Perspectives on the EU Election
While the EU election is increasingly significant, many feel less represented and heard by the EU than ever. In the latest EU election, in 2019, only 50.7 % of eligible voters in the EU made use of their right to vote. Though this might not seem like a lot, Dutch Green MEP Bas Eickhout identified the turnout as a sign of how important the elections are for EU citizens, as previous turnouts had been even lower.
Considering the shift to right-winged politics in the Netherlands, with candidates like Geert Wilders, this election could determine a lot.
Curious about Groningers’ perspectives and opinions we decided to ask a diverse group of people how they feel about the upcoming election and the future of the EU.
Nico, a first-year spatial planning student at the RUG, shared insights into the low voter turnout phenomenon.
“The reason is probably that the EU-Parliament is not directly connected to the national issues. National elections usually have a higher news coverage so people feel more connected to them,” he said. Others highlighted a lack of information about the EU’s significance, claiming that many are uninformed about the decisions made at the EU level.
“Many people are not informed about how important Europe is for us and how much is being decided.” Explained another interviewee.
A recent survey, conducted in the fall of 2023 mirrors this phenomenon. The survey found that only 28 percent of participants knew in which year and month the elections were happening. 21 percent of the participants guessed the year but not the month. This shows how uninformed many EU citizens are about the elections.
Furthermore, we noticed that many of our interviewees felt underrepresented and impactless in the EU. When asked about their feeling of representation opinions differed. While elderly people felt represented and already knew who to vote for, almost all millennials and Gen Z claimed they did not feel represented by the current EU parliament.
“It is easy for me to decide which parties I should not vote for but not necessarily what party I should vote for,” said Nico, while we had to laugh because as first-time voters, we could relate so well.
Despite these concerns, we asked participants about the importance of voting in the EU election. Some were optimistic: “I vote in every election,” one of our interviewees said whilst giving us a quick smile. “I try to make small changes.”; others expressed scepticism about their ability to make a change “I do think it is important to vote but I do not know if it would make much of a difference.” said one of our more pessimistic participants.
While almost everyone acknowledged the importance of the election, just a few were optimistic that the results would lead to positive change.
Looking ahead, we asked the participants whether they had any hopes, wishes or concerns for the future of the EU. People in Groningen, young and old, were particularly concerned about the emergence of right-wing populism. While some of our interviewees partly blamed the EU parliament for that rise, others saw the EU as an opportunity to solve the issue.
“I feel a bit concerned about the strengthening of right-wing politics. The EU elections could help with solving that issue.”
Lastly, in light of recent conflicts in the world, many wished for the EU to focus more on humanity and peace and to act as a role model moving forward.
In general, our conversations were filled with a mix of worries, hopes and calls for meaningful engagement in shaping the future of the EU.
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