When 25 countries voted to elect their representatives to the European Parliament by 13 June, it was the biggest democratic event in European history. But a majority of European electors could not be bothered to vote. Only 45.5 per cent of Europeans actually cast a ballot, the lowest percentage in the quarter-century history of the popularly elected Parliament. However, there were big differences in turnout between countries. In Belgium and Luxembourg more than 90 per cent of the electorate voted, while in Slovakia and Poland only a fifth or less could be bothered to vote.
The EURO GAP is the difference between the number of people who voted in their national election and number who voted in the European ballot.
This web page will answer four questions:
- Where is turnout lowest and where is it highest--and why?
- Is turnout in European elections falling?
- How big is the EURO GAP--and what does it tell us about popular views of the European Union?
- What can be done to boost popular participation in the European Union?
Lots of information about turnout worldwide since 1945 is contained in a new IDEA publication Voter Turnout in Western Europe: A Regional Report, which is available in full on IDEA's website. In June, this section of the website will apply information from this report and related materials to aid the analysis of the significance of participation and non-participation in the June European Parliament election.
After all the votes counted, IDEA will give a fast and authoritative analysis of turning out and turning off in Europe's biggest election ever. This analysis will be prepared by Professor Richard Rose, a member of IDEA's expert group on voter turnout.
For further information, contact:
IDEA Electoral Processes Team
Maria Gratschew, Assistant Programme Officer
E-mail: m.gratschew@idea.int Tel: +46-8-698 3762
IDEA's expert consultant, Professor Richard Rose
E-mail: prof_r_rose@yahoo.co.uk Tel: +44-1436-672164
For more information, visit IDEA's database of Voter Turnout Worldwide
