One thing made Slovakia famous in 2004- the lowest voter turnout in the whole EU. Only 16,96% found their way in the polling places (second lowest turnout was in Poland).
There were quickly something to blame: poor media coverage (said politicians), political disillusion and “disenchantment with Europe” (said sociologists). Declan Ganley, a new celebrity of EU-politics campaigning around Europe to get some support for his party, added one reason in his Monday’s interview with Slovak newspaper (google-translated interview can be found here, there is short video about signature scuffle as well)- people simply don’t understand what is going on.
Mr. Ganely might be right in that point, one quick look in the Eurobarometer is convincing enough: in survey made few months after first Slovak EP elections in 2004 (pdf version here) 36% agreed with the statement “I know how the European Union works”, and (what is more alarming) only 44% correctly answered question about last date of EP elections (56% thought it was in 2002, which was the year of national parliament elections). It’s a bit weird to read in the same survey, that European Parliament has a 70% of “trust level” among Slovaks. Maybe people trust MEPs so much, they simply don’t have a need for participation;if this is the case, the consequences are scary.
Five years later, the “trust level” is still same. According to the last Eurobarometer (pdf here) “70% of Slovak citizens’ trust in the European Parliament”.One slight improvement is in the field of knowledge- at least in the question what people think they know: 44% agree with the statement above. But, what is more alarming again, is (un)awareness of elections 2009 taking place. In October 2008 according to another survey (pdf in Slovak here) 51% did not know when next elections will take place, 65% were not interested in the elections, and only 15% would definitely vote. And just like in the previous case, schizophrenically 68% think that “the role played by European Parliament in the life of European Union” is very important.
Sure, European union is a complicated bunch of institutions, which is hard to understand for people professionally dealing with it. “Ordinary” people might be confused from the (not only Slovak I believe) media’s simplification and their general disinterest in European affairs.
However, what lacks in Mr. Ganley’s speeches is any clear vision of what should EU look like, how should it work, what should it deal with, etc. After all, it is nothing controversial to point out on “democratic deficit” (it has even its own page in the “Europa glossary”) and “Non-elected, unaccountable bureaucrats are making decisions in Brussels” as did Ganley in his speech in Slovakia.
What I would like to know is, what would Declan Ganley do if he eventually won the election. Instead of likening EU to Hugo Chavez (as he did in that Slovak interview) he might present some practical ideas or plans… . Otherwise he is just continuing in empty declarations and cliche, which are so characteristic for “non-elected, unaccountable bureaucrats are making decisions in Brussels” and single-use rising star politicians.
(18 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5)
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Ganly wants people to feel comfortable with a low turnout because a low turnout gives marginal parties like his the best chance of success. He will have a well funded election machine which will scare people who don’t know much about the EU into believing that the EU will force conscription into a European Army, force abortion, force gay marriages, will allow Russia to dominate eastern Europe - anything that might scare certain voter groups into voting his way. And if the turnout is low he has a chance of success.
The irony of Ganly, a US Defence contractor who has never been elected to anything calling elected politicians undemocratic seems to be lost on people. The fact that most of his money comes from the US defence establishment who have a vested interest in dividing and conquering Europe so that the US can remain dominant does seem to register with people either.
If people don’t bother voting, they will get the politicians they deserve.