Following the 2024 elections of the European Parliament, the Secretariat of the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE) issued the following comment on the election’s preliminary results on Monday, 10 June 2024.
“With more than 370 million citizens called to the polls in 27 different countries, these elections, which respect the different voting traditions of the Member States, have been a great exercise in democracy.
The preliminary results show that a pro-European majority is maintained in the EU Parliament. The majority of those who voted expressed support for the European project and a strong desire for more Europe. This is good news and one of the key points the bishops of COMECE emphasised in the months prior to the elections.
The turnout for these elections is around 50%. While this is in line with previous EU elections, it is still not enough, indicating a persistent disinterest and lack of commitment among EU citizens. A low turnout, combined with the strong increase in nationalistic and Eurosceptic parties, especially in the founding countries of the European Union, manifests a strong dissatisfaction with the performance of the EU.
The results of these elections urge all of us, especially the newly elected MEPs and the future Commissioners, to work to reduce the perceived gaping between the European Union and its citizens and to give adequate answers to their real concerns.”
Source: comece.eu