Friday

29th Mar 2024

Governments across EU to be hit in European elections

Governing parties across the EU are set to be hit hard in the European elections in just under two weeks time, according to a new survey on EU citizens' voting intentions.

Published on Tuesday (1 June), the EOS Gallup poll conducted in 21 of the 25 member states shows that for most countries, the elections for European Parliament will be a warning for the ruling party.

Read and decide

Join EUobserver today

Get the EU news that really matters

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

... or subscribe as a group

Some of the biggest losses will occur in Poland and Germany.

Free fall in Poland

According to the survey, in Warsaw, the ruling Democratic Left Alliance (SLD), and its newly created splinter, the Social Democratic party, are set to be pulverised in elections and will gain just 6% each of the vote - barely above the five percent threshold.

Meanwhile, their like-minded colleagues in Berlin, the Social Democrats, are to get 25% of the vote - about half of what the opposition Christian Democrats are likely to get (49%).

The UK's labour party are to get 23% of the vote while the eurosceptic Conservatives and anti-Europe UK Independence party are to get (30% and 10% of the vote respectively).

Left-leaning parties in the Czech Republic, Lithuania and Hungary are also in for a bashing.

No better for centre-right parties

The ruling centre-right is not likely to fare any better. In France, President Jacques Chirac's conservative UMP will gain 20% of the vote to be beaten by the Socialists with 28%.

Conservative parties in the Netherlands, Portugal, Estonia and Slovakia are also going to get a wake up call.

Bucking the trend

However, there are some governments bucking the trend.

Spain's recently elected Socialist government is to come out top in the polls and may even improve their ratings, as could the liberals in Denmark and the centre-right in Finland.

The Maltese Nationalist Party, Ireland's conservative Fianna Fail and Slovenia's liberals are also set to stay in the lead.

The poll results are based on the answers of 700 telephone interviews in each of the member states - however the results for Luxembourg, Greece and Italy were not published due to national legislation restrictions, while those for Belgium were not published because not enough interviews were carried out.

The European elections will take place across all 25 member states from 10-13 June.

Ukraine slams grain trade restrictions at EU summit

Restrictions on Ukrainian agricultural exports to the EU could translate into military losses in their bid to stop Russia's war, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky warned EU leaders during their summit in Brussels on Thursday.

Difficult talks ahead on financing new EU defence spending

With the war in Ukraine showing no signs of ending any time soon, EU leaders will meet in Brussels on Thursday and Friday (21 and 22 March) to discuss how to boost the defence capabilities of Ukraine and of the bloc itself.

Opinion

Why UK-EU defence and security deal may be difficult

Rather than assuming a pro-European Labour government in London will automatically open doors in Brussels, the Labour party needs to consider what it may be able to offer to incentivise EU leaders to factor the UK into their defence thinking.

Latest News

  1. Kenyan traders react angrily to proposed EU clothes ban
  2. Lawyer suing Frontex takes aim at 'antagonistic' judges
  3. Orban's Fidesz faces low-polling jitters ahead of EU election
  4. German bank freezes account of Jewish peace group
  5. EU Modernisation Fund: an open door for fossil gas in Romania
  6. 'Swiftly dial back' interest rates, ECB told
  7. Moscow's terror attack, security and Gaza
  8. Why UK-EU defence and security deal may be difficult

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Nordic Council of MinistersJoin the Nordic Food Systems Takeover at COP28
  2. Nordic Council of MinistersHow women and men are affected differently by climate policy
  3. Nordic Council of MinistersArtist Jessie Kleemann at Nordic pavilion during UN climate summit COP28
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersCOP28: Gathering Nordic and global experts to put food and health on the agenda
  5. Friedrich Naumann FoundationPoems of Liberty – Call for Submission “Human Rights in Inhume War”: 250€ honorary fee for selected poems
  6. World BankWorld Bank report: How to create a future where the rewards of technology benefit all levels of society?

Join EUobserver

EU news that matters

Join us