Tuesday

6th Jun 2023

Slovakia's EP election turnout set for all-time low of 13%

  • A polling station in Slovakia, with nobody around (Photo: EUobserver)

Slovakia is set to rewrite the record books of EU elections again, with unofficial turnout figures suggesting that just some 13 percent of people cared to vote.

If confirmed, this would surpass both the pessimistic pre-election estimate of 16-21 percent turnout and past results – 19.6 percent in 2009 and 16.9 percent in 2004. The latter was the lowest ever score in the union's history.

Read and decide

Join EUobserver today

Become an expert on Europe

Get instant access to all articles — and 20 years of archives. 14-day free trial.

... or subscribe as a group

Slovakia's EU commissioner Maros Sefcovic, campaigning for the ruling social democrats (Smer-SD), said politicians need to seriously think about how to tackle the so-called Slovak paradox. People are generally supportive of EU membership and integration, but show an unprecedented lack of interest in the EP vote.

"It is a failure across the political spectrum," Sefcovic told EUobserver, labelling the lack of interest by young voters as "particularly alarming". What is needed, he said, is communication that ordinary citizens can easily understand as well as more media coverage of EU-related themes.

Jan Oravec, heading the list of the Eurosceptic Freedom and Solidarity party (SaS), also expressed surprise over young people's lack of interest in the EU campaign. "It is their future at stake, after all."

Saturday (May 24), EP vote day, saw efforts to engage young voters through the campaign #volilisme, i.e. we have voted. It encouraged people to take a selfie photo at the polling stations and to post it together with #volilisme information on twitter and Facebook.

But Zuzana Gabrizova, journalist and EU expert, questions political parties' concern with the low turnout.

She told EUobserver that they "have adjusted to the existing reality of low interest in EU affairs, rather than actively confronting it". They have no strong incentives – in terms of gaining money or power – to engage in increasing turnout, she said.

As a result, parties focus on their core voters, while saving money as well as effort, she noted.

The existing voting system for EU elections is also seen by analysts as an additional reason contributing to the problem.

Ruling social democrats win and lose at the same time

Unofficial results also suggest that the ruling Smer-SD party won the EP vote with 24 percent support. But it has probably lost one seat, leaving it with only four MEPs in the next legislative period.

It is "rather a disappointment", said Maros Sefcovic, who received the most preferential votes, although he is hoping for another stint in the commission. He is the outgoing commissioner in charge of inter-institutional relations and administration in the EU's executive.

Seven other parties seem to have succeeded in the elections, winning either one or two seats.

The Christian democrats (KDH) appear to be second with some 13 percent of all votes, ensuring re-election of their current MEPs, Anna Zaborska and Miroslav Mikolasik. The centre-right SDKU-DS party is also set to have two MEPs.

The Ordinary People movement (OLaNO), the Eurosceptic liberals (SaS), the conservatives (NOVA), the centre-right Most-Hid, and the SMK party, representing the Hungarian minority, each look set to have one MEP.

Parties such as SaS and NOVA have "profited from the extremely low turnout", political analyst Martin Klus told the TASR news agency. "In Lithuania, the EU vote was coupled with the presidential elections. Why don't we do the same?"

Slovak Liberals unsure of EP group

Slovak liberals are weighing up whether to stick with the Liberal group in the European Parliament or try their luck with the anti-federalist ECR.

EU turnout nearly unchanged from 2009

A 0.09 percent increase in the turnout compared to the last EU elections has been celebrated as 'historic', but some experts see a link to the strong anti-establishment vote in many countries.

Column

In 2024, Europe's voters need to pick a better crop of MEPs

At 2024's European Parliament elections, the stakes will be very high. A lot has happened in the last four years. In 2019, there was no pandemic, no war in Europe and no johnny-come-lately countries demanding a seat at the table.

Latest News

  1. Migration commissioner: Greek pushback film 'clear deportation'
  2. In 2024, Europe's voters need to pick a better crop of MEPs
  3. ECB president grilled over €135bn interest payout to commercial banks
  4. EU political ads rules could be 'hotbed for retaliatory flagging'
  5. Final steps for EU's due diligence on supply chains law
  6. Top EU court rules Poland's court reforms 'infringe law'
  7. Sweden's far-right is most anti-Green Deal party in EU
  8. Strengthening recovery, resilience and democracy in regions, cities and villages

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. International Sustainable Finance CentreJoin CEE Sustainable Finance Summit, 15 – 19 May 2023, high-level event for finance & business
  2. ICLEISeven actionable measures to make food procurement in Europe more sustainable
  3. World BankWorld Bank Report Highlights Role of Human Development for a Successful Green Transition in Europe
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersNordic summit to step up the fight against food loss and waste
  5. Nordic Council of MinistersThink-tank: Strengthen co-operation around tech giants’ influence in the Nordics
  6. EFBWWEFBWW calls for the EC to stop exploitation in subcontracting chains

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. InformaConnecting Expert Industry-Leaders, Top Suppliers, and Inquiring Buyers all in one space - visit Battery Show Europe.
  2. EFBWWEFBWW and FIEC do not agree to any exemptions to mandatory prior notifications in construction
  3. Nordic Council of MinistersNordic and Baltic ways to prevent gender-based violence
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersCSW67: Economic gender equality now! Nordic ways to close the pension gap
  5. Nordic Council of MinistersCSW67: Pushing back the push-back - Nordic solutions to online gender-based violence
  6. Nordic Council of MinistersCSW67: The Nordics are ready to push for gender equality

Join EUobserver

Support quality EU news

Join us