On June 9, Lithuanians will again head to the ballot boxes, this time to elect their MEPs. However, there are predictions that turnout in these elections could fall to record lows. Experts have varying explanations for this.
Only 20.98 percent of Lithuanian voters cast their ballots in the EP elections in 2009. Such a low turnout has never been seen before or since, but political observers fear that this could change in the EP election on June 9.
This year, as in 2009, the EP election in Lithuania is being held separately from the presidential election. This is why it is expected that the turnout could be as low as 20 percent.
By comparison, in the years when the EP and presidential elections were held in conjunction, turnout was well over 40 percent.
Further reading
Pro-EU nation
Justas Vincas Paleckis was among the first politicians elected to the EP by the Lithuanian people shortly after the country joined the EU. The politician, who had served as Lithuania’s representative in the EP for a decade, said that nobody knew what it was like to work in one of the EU’s most important institutions when he was elected.
“At that time, we were heading into the unknown. We didn’t know what the European Parliament was, what the work there was, what we would have to do,” he said.
Asked about the predicted low turnout, Paleckis said that in other countries, too, the EP elections are much less popular than national parliamentary or presidential elections.
“One’s own shirt is definitely closer to one’s body. On the other hand, we have almost always held our EP election together with the presidential election, which makes us look quite good in the overall European context in terms of the turnout,” the former MEP said.
He also pointed out that despite low turnout in EP elections, Lithuanians are among the most pro-EU nations in the bloc, according to polls.
This year, the non-partisan political monitoring network Žinau, Ką Renku (I Know What I’m Electing) is organising 22 debates for EP election candidates. According to the network’s coordinator Aušrinė Diržinskaitė, the debates started attracting more interest after the presidential election.
“There is interest, but I would attribute it to the fact that people don’t seem to know who is running, what the lists are, and there are 15 lists. We say about the presidential elections that there is a lot to choose from, and in the European elections there is even more choice,” she told LRT.lt.
Asked about the little knowledge that people have about the EP and low voter turnout, Diržinskaitė also noted that Lithuanians may not have a habit of going to separate elections.
“Since the EP elections usually coincided with the presidential elections, maybe there is no habit of having another election and separate debates,” she said.
Communication issues
Lithuanian Ambassador to the EU Arnoldas Pranckevičius pointed out that Lithuania is not the only country facing low turnout in the EP election. According to him, it is natural that people care more about national policy issues and vote more actively in local elections.
“The constant and eternal challenge since the first direct elections to the European Parliament in 1979 has been bringing the activities of the EP closer to the citizens and explaining why the decisions taken in Brussels have a direct impact on the lives of every citizen,” he told LRT.lt.
“I would say that the main challenge was, is, and will remain communication – the ability of politicians to communicate directly the importance of the EU’s decisions, to show the importance of the EP’s role, and thus encourage voters to participate,” Pranckevičius added.
Asked whose responsibility it is to explain to the population the activities of the EP and the significance of its decisions, the Lithuanian ambassador to the EU said that it is a shared responsibility between the EU and national institutions.
“The blame cannot be attributed to only one side. In my 20 years in all three institutions – the EP, the European Commission, and now the European Council, where I represent Lithuania’s interests – I see very well how all institutions are not only responsible for decisions but also have to bear the burden of communication,” Pranckevičius said.
“It was very interesting for me to head the European Commission Representation in Lithuania, where one of the main functions was European communication in the country. [...] The work has to be permanent; it is not just a job for the EP elections,” he stressed.
Speaking about the importance of the decisions taken in the EP, the ambassador noted that the parliament is a decision-maker equal to the European Council and the member states.
“Whether it’s the environment, energy, transport, regional policy, or agricultural support, many internal market issues are dealt with by both the EP and the member states. That is why the EP’s influence has grown considerably over the last 14 years, especially since the Lisbon Treaty came into force,” he stressed.
“It is also a very important institution for the EU budget. As we in Brussels call it, it is the budgetary authority. Multiannual finances are agreed at the level of the leaders but approved by the parliament and subject to quite difficult negotiations between the EP and the European Council,” he added.
According to the ambassador, another important function of the EP is the ratification of international treaties, for example, on trade, the environment, or other areas. However, the EP has very little power in the areas of foreign policy, security, and defence, as these are the competencies of the member states.
Don’t feel important
Stefano Braghiroli, an associate professor at the Johan Skytte Institute of Political Studies at the University of Tartu, noted that EP election turnout is low in all Baltic states.
“If we look at the latest polls, it seems that all three Baltic states have lower voting intentions than the EU average. Estonians are the least likely to vote,” he told LRT.lt.
Asked why turnout in the EP elections is low and tends to decrease, the expert said that the reasons are various. According to him, MEPs often say that voters only want to talk to them about what is happening in their countries.
“But on the other hand, voters tell politicians that they do not fully understand how the European Union works. It is a vicious circle,” he said.
“One thing we know for sure is that in small countries, like the Baltic states, people feel that their voice is not heard at the EU level,” Braghiroli added.
He cited surveys, asking people in different countries whether they felt that their voice was important in the EU. In Estonia, 16 percent answered positively, followed by 30 percent in Latvia and 33 percent in Lithuania. In Sweden and Finland, the figures were 80 and 62 percent respectively.
In addition, according to Braghiroli, the fact that voters in our region do not see their own countries represented when they look to EU leaders may also reduce their willingness to participate in the EP elections.
“There were only two times in the last 20 years when the Baltic countries and Poland have been able to see their representatives in the EU leadership – Donald Tusk and Jerzy Buzek,” he said.
Finally, he pointed to the ethnic composition of the Baltic states and the fact that Russian-speaking voters in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania are less likely to participate in EP elections. The problem is compounded by passive election campaigns and the fact that parties mainly promote themselves online, which may not be accessible to older voters, he said.
“But it is essential to vote because if you don’t vote, someone else will vote for you,” Braghiroli stressed.
Newsletter
Every Friday morning.
