Pöttering warns over low EU election turnout

Parliament president Hans-Gert Pöttering has warned that extremist parties could benefit from low turnout in June's European elections.

Pöttering told delegates at the European citizens' summit on Monday that it was up to parliamentarians to increase turnout, which has been falling steadily since 1979 and is expected to drop again this year.

"I think it's very worrying if we don't get a good turnout," he said.

Calling on the media to focus on European issues, he said it was "not adequate" to concentrate so heavily on national politics. "Almost all questions have something to do with the EU," he argued.

His comments came as the British National Party launched its manifesto in the UK for the June poll, and as Britain's three main parties were preparing to meet to discuss how to tackle the threat from the far right.

Pöttering added, "We have to do our upmost to get people to vote because if the people who are in favour of Europe will not vote or are not interested, then the extremes will be very strong, from the very left and from the very right.

"I don't want that those who want to destroy the EU have an important role to play in the future of the EU. So let us be engaged, let us do our upmost to gather participation in favour of the pro-European parties."

Opening the debate, which brought together 150 citizens to present recommendations for social and economic reforms for the EU, Belgium's secretary of state for foreign affairs Olivier Chastel said his country had always been committed to finding ways of "bringing European citizens closer to the European project".

He spoke of the priorities when Belgium takes over the EU presidency in 2010, saying the country wanted to "make the European project tangible and accessible for citizens".

While parliament is a "key institution in shaping European policy", he said that turnout this year was likely to be less than 40 per cent, partly because of the complicated decision making procedures in the EU.

Commission president José Manuel Barroso also stressed the importance of the elections. "Parliament is the only institution where the citizens are directly elected it is very important that they participate," he said.

"We can only make our project work... if at all levels we defend the European project in the institutions.

"Europe is a project that has to be pushed by society not top down. We have the right to vote, so let's use that right and elect those that represent us in the European parliament because it has a very important role to play in final decisions."

Choice

European Green Party president Phillipe Lambert spoke of a "discordance between the citizens and the political elite in Europe".

"As long as politicians will blame it on Brussels, because Brussels does everything wrong, we will keep having this disconnect," he said.

One way of countering this would be to have a part of parliament elected by European constituents, he suggested, "so that we will attract politicians who feel that they want to talk to the people and be accountable to citizens of the 27 member states".

PES president Poul Nyrup Rasmussen said it was "essential to make Europe a political choice".

"We're not getting people out to vote on June 7 unless they understand that the majority of the European parliament is close to being as important as the national parliaments they know so well," he argued.

"I think we should make it crystal clear that you need to go out voting because this majority in the European parliament is of enormous importance."

Setting out the Socialist priorities for the elections, he said, "If you want a new direction for Europe - greener, more social and more welfare state-orientated - vote for us, but if you want more market vote for them [the EPP]."

EPP president Wilfried Martens came back, "We are also for the people... We are all united on the economy, social Europe and a more integrated Europe."

Annemie Neyts-Uyttebroeck, president of the ELDR, called for politicians to remember that there was some agreement in parliament.

"It seems as if we are never cooperating on anything," she said. "There's still a great deal of consensual work in the parliament... and I would like this to be taken into account."

Martens said that while there was competition with the other political groups, they were not "enemies".

"Our enemies are not here," he stressed. "The Eurosceptics and extreme right have rejected Europe.

"The traditional political families have worked together and they are still a two third majority in the parliament.

"They are competitors in this election but they always work together. I am in favour of continuing this long and fruitful tradition for the EU."

President

The panel also addressed the issue of the next commission president, a post for which Barroso has been backed by the centre-right for a second term.

Rasmussen has been touted as a potential contender, although the Socialists have yet to put forward an official candidate.

Martens said, "We had the courage to say that we are proposing - if we stay as the strongest political group in the European parliament - Mr Barroso for a second mandate [as commission president].

"And we are not alone - four Socialist prime ministers support him. So it is not so simple to say that the EPP are opposed to social Europe."

Asked whether the Socialists have a favourite for president, Rasmussen said, "Oh yes we have." But asked whether he or she like to identify themselves he came back with a definitive "no".

"The Social Democrats of Europe cannot vote for Mr Barroso, he's your candidate," argued Rasmussen. "We cannot support him. If we're getting a new majority in Europe then Mr Barroso will not be commission president."

Barroso said it was important to remember that the commission is not elected by parliament but designated by each government.

The commission "can be political but it cannot be too partisan", he said, claiming that the political mix reflected "the different composition of the political reality".

"I am for a political commission," added Barroso. "But it is a mistake to have an over-politicised partisan commission. The commission has to represent all of Europe."

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