Zentrum für Europäische Integrationsforschung Center for European Integration Studies EU-Turkey-Monitor Vol. 5 No. 2 August 2009 Editorial A record low turnout of 43% marked this year’s elections to the European Parlia- ment. Either of disinterest in European affairs or of dissatisfaction with European politics, only a minority of European citi- zens considered it worthwhile to vote. The European Parliament, the natural institu- tion to connect European people(s) to po- litical Europe, still seems to have problems to really reach the hearts and minds of people. In the meantime, the “democratic defi cit” of the European Union looms on. Nonetheless, the elections have brought about the fi rst major political change within the European Union this year. Another change that will impact European policy making even more in the future will be the fi nal word of Irish voters on the In June 2009, citizens across Europe went to the polls to elect their representatives in the Eu- Treaty of Lisbon in October. The treaty is ropean Parliament (EP). Despite the low turnout, the EP still is one of the central institutions to supposed to replace the Treaty of Nice guarantee the democratic legitimacy of European policy making. However, the chamber and end of this year. Although the ratifi cation some of its practices are not uncritisised - the convention to hold plenary meetings in Stras- process is still pending, one of the last ma- bourg and not in Brussels is increasingly questioned. Photo European Parliament jor obstacles has already been removed in summer: the German Constitutional Court cleared the way for ratifi cation in the last THE SEVENTH ELECTION TO THE EUROPEAN of the EEC’s founding member states, de- spite certain conditions formulated in the ARLIAMENT court’s decision. P Refl ections on the campaigns and electoral results Closely linked to the ratifi cation of the Treaty of Lisbon and the elections to the Jared Sonnicksen First of all, the European Parliament constitu- European Parliament is the nomination of a tes the sole directly elected institution of the new Commission, with the current fi ve-year “Europe has voted…at least a small part of it European Union and thus the key democra- term of José Manuel Barroso and his team has”. These were the opening words, loosely tic-representative anchor of European gover- ending soon. Looking back at the Commis- translated, of the evening news report of the nance. Moreover, with each treaty revision, sion’s performance in enlargement policy German public broadcaster ARD on Monday, from Maastricht to Nice as well as the yet-to- over the past fi ve years, publicly domi- 8 June 2009, following the elections to the be ratifi ed Treaty of Lisbon, the EP has seen nated by the “Turkish question”, this issue European Parliament. With results emerging its competences and scope of responsibilities of the ZEI EU-Turkey-Monitor features an on Sunday evening, the elections turned out expanded continuously. The EP has evolved interview with Olli Rehn, Commissioner for a number of winners and of course losers, from a debating assembly with mere consulta- Enlargement. Olli Rehn refl ects on past though the turnout itself was anything but en- tive powers, more or less its institutional sta- accomplishments, current challenges and couraging for the EP or the EU in general. At tus upon the eve of the fi rst direct elections the implications of enlargement policy in a European wide participation rate of approxi- in 1979, to an infl uential legislative authority the wider context of EU foreign policy. mately 43 %, it would seem that the true win- in European politics with co-equal decision- ner of the European elections was the voice making rights in an ever increasing amount of the non-voter. On the other hand, while “si- of policy areas. From both a democratic and lence speaks volumes”, the message behind institutional standpoint, the EP has become the widespread voter abstention can hardly a truly signifi cant part of European policyma- be viewed as monotone. Indeed, a multitude king. Consequently, its elections bear a subs- of factors lie in the nature of how European tantial relevance and one could in turn expect Dr. Andreas Marchetti parliamentary elections are held, perceived, a corresponding interest on the part of Editor, Center for European Integration Studies (ZEI) and attended. the citizens of the Union as well as the ZEI EU-Turkey-Monitor Vol. 5 No. 2 August 2009 1 parties competing for their support. demonstrated substantial compatibility with nomic crisis seemed to be of grave concern the manifestos of their respective European for voters, and with that related issues such All the more puzzling would seem then not party family, much more so than has been the as unemployment, economic growth, social only the comparatively low voter mobilisation case in the past,5 with liberal parties calling for insecurity (e.g. pensions), but also the fi ght when contrasted with national elections, but a ‘liberal’ market and policy approach in the against terrorism and climate change,7 repre- also the relatively high electoral successes EU, the Greens proposing a “Green new deal” senting issues where EU and national respon- gained by Euro-sceptic and even anti-EU par- and socialist or social-democratic parties de- sibilities blend to various degrees. ties this year. But what appears to be a contra- manding a more “social Europe”. While this diction at fi rst glance is rather the expression is a promising development toward truly Eu- Electoral Results – Ups and Downs, Win- of a complex relationship between European ropean elections, the European party families ners and Losers leaders or politicians and European citizens. continue to have virtually no infl uence in the Their linkage is predominantly carried out via selection of candidates for the party lists and Determining who won or lost the 2009 Euro- national politicians, parties and media – which maintain little control of setting the electoral pean elections depends on the perspective. has long been the case in previous European agenda. Of course, this can be said of most elections in elections and certainly played a role in the general, but it applies particularly to EP elec- failed ratifi cation process of the European The personnel side of the elections illustrates tions, one factor being that in the EU, there is Constitutional Treaty.1 Despite its enhanced clearly the high degree of national orientati- no “government” formed, countered by a more position, the national parties and leaders ul- on that still dominates European elections. or less fi xed opposition like in typical parlia- timately responsible for organising European Though that applies to all member states, mentary systems. The conservative, Christi- elections still tend to neglect the European this was shown especially in Germany, which an-democratic parties that form the EPP party Parliament and the way the elections are ge- is in the midst of an election year with natio- group in the EP have won the election in the nerally carried out refl ect this.2 And, on the nal elections to be held in September. Here sense that they gained the largest amount of whole, this underlying theme well applies to for example campaign posters of the Social seats. But, their percentage of the vote drop- the seventh election to the European Parlia- Democratic Party featured their candidate ped by approximately 1% compared to the ment and the results it produced. for Chancellor, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, to- previous election in 2004. On the other hand, gether with their top MEP candidate Martin this drop in percentage of vote/seats refl ects Campaigning for the European Elections – Schulz. The Christian Democratic Union also the loss of the U.K. Conservative Party and Still a national affair? frequently had pictures of Angela Merkel, the the Czech ODS, who left the EPP-ED, which current Chancellor as representing the “voice may not be a “loss” at all in terms of party co- Since the introduction of direct EP elections of Germany in Europe”. But this is striking, not hesion. In contrast to the conservatives, the and, in response, the increased social scien- only because she of course is not competing socialists/social-democratic parties had to ac- tifi c research addressing them, the European for a seat in the EP, but also because of the cept a substantial defeat in the vast majority of elections have come to be viewed as “second- blatant lack of interest in putting someone like member states with the PES group shrinking order” elections. This term refers to two basic Hans-Gert Pöttering (also a CDU member) at by almost 6% compared to 2004. A particu- attributes of the EP elections: they are widely the forefront, the latter having served for the larly bitter loss came to the Labour Party in considered secondary in importance to natio- past several years as the President of the the U.K., where the national scandal concer- nal elections and they are not conducted as European Parliament. Particularly dramatic ning the abuse of expense accounts on the a primarily European competition, but rather were the events in Italy, where Prime Minister part of the Labour government there nearly contested with national issues and by national Berlusconi’s list of candidates, not to menti- dominated the public debate leading up to this parties.3 This is reinforced by the fact that the on the allegations against him of having an year’s elections. And in other countries such European election is actually held, not under extra-marital affair, caused an uproar in the as France, Hungary, the Netherlands and one uniform electoral system, but separate- campaign and European issues essentially Portugal, social democrats there experienced ly according to the electoral systems of the fell from the agenda.