By Uski Audino

Elections for the European Parliament are currently underway. 360 million people are eligible to vote for 720 members of the EU’s legislative body from June 6 to 9. In the five years since the last elections, European Institutions have faced interlocking crises like never before: the Covid-19 pandemic, the challenge of joint vaccine procurement, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the politics of sanctions in response, the energy crisis, the war in Gaza.

A completely new political balance is at stake in the Old Continent. Paradoxically, the voter turnout is expected to rise even while the support of towards anti-EU parties is increasing.

The more active the European Union is in managing crises, the more its bureaucracy, flaws and difficulties become visible to the public. This has become fertile ground for right-wing parties demanding a return to national sovereignty. Meanwhile, the political center is shrinking.

A recent Bertelsmann Stiftung study indicates that 60% of Europeans intend to vote. Despite an East–West disparity — only 29% of the population of the Czech Republic voted in 2019 — the trend is generally positive, especially among young Europeans.

According to a recent TUI Siftung survey, 58% of 16- to 20-year-olds consider European elections “important.” The most convinced are young Germans (67%), while the French........

© Eurasia Review