First ideas to the EP-election 2014

14. Juli 2014

The election for the European Parliament has shown nationally very different results, which must be especially evaluated by the respective member associations of the FIR and the social forces in the countries concerned. But nevertheless also generalized statements can be made:

1 The different election results in the participating European countries have a common problem: the low turnout. Even in countries where voting is compulsory did not participate in the election of a large number of voters. The lowest turnout has been registreted in Slovenia with less than 20%. The overall result is that the “party of non-voters” has become the real election winner.

This shows that many people have seen no political future for themselves in elections to the European Parliament. Perhaps because they saw no way to be able to take a real impact on the political situation in Europe, perhaps because they have no overall expectations of Europe. Here it is clear that the current policy of the European Union does not meet the needs of the majority of citizens in the member countries.

2 Dramatic are the results of the extreme right and right-wing populist parties in many European countries. In the UK UKIP reached 27.5%, in Denmark the DF 26.6%, in France the National Front 25% and in Austria the FPÖ 19.5% of the votes. These are not “exceptions”, but the visible signs of the political development of extrem right parties. And there are openly fascist and violent Nazi organizations represented in the European Parliament, Jobbik from Hungary (14.7%), from Sweden “Sweden Democrats” (9.7%), from Greece the “Golden Dawn” (9.4%), from Belgium Flaams Belang (4.2%) and from Germany for the first time NPD (1%). This shows that racist ideology, nationalist responses to the crisis experiences and their militant enforcement can actually mobilize a large number of voters.
This also applies in cases where extreme right-wing groups in relation to the last European elections or the recent national elections could no longer reach the previous number of votes. Both Wilders PVV and the Flaams Belang in Belgium lost recognizable voices.

3 The consequences: First, the existing right fractions will in the future occur with greater voting power and second there will be a fraction (with all funds and political influence) which openly advocates right-wing populist and neo-fascist positions. Unlike 2007, this fraction likely to continue indefinitely, because the participants are less guided by nationalist ideology, but of political power interests.

4 Despite all the drama on the extreme right, we can highlight positive that anti-fascist, left-oriented and democratic organizations got more influence – documented by the number of votes – in different countries. This includes the result of “SYRIZA” in Greece, the results of the various parties of the “indignados” in Spain and the Socialist Party in the Netherlands. As a result, the fractions with which the FIR has worked confidently in the past (PSE and GUE-NGL) has been strengthened, which may be a hopeful sign for us.

5 For FIR, the election results have the consequence that we must strenghen our work together with those forces in the European Parliament they are accessible for anti-fascist themes. The support for our call was a good start. It is our responsibility and the task of our member federations to use the possibilities of the results.