Living in the EU: European Elections and Democracy...Living in the EU: European Elections and...
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The concept of participation lies at the heart of the European project, however recent years have seen a decrease in electoral turnout in contrast to the broader feelings of EU citizens of being part of a wider project promoting prosperity, social cohesion, unity and tolerance. Participation differs among different groups, and among the most explored is the gender gap in political participation, even though progress has been achieved over the years. Nowadays many European citizens show an increasing attachment to the EU, and its democracy, despite the perception of corruption and the challenges to press freedom affecting Member States to different degrees. Living in the EU: European Elections and Democracy Trends in turnout at national and EP elections Parliamentary elections in EU Member States European Parliament Turnout at EP elections 1979 1984 1989 1994 1999 2004 2009 2014 2019 60% 40% 20% 0% 1984 1994 2004 2014 80% 100% Turnout at EP elections (2014) More than 56.3% 45.4% - 56.3% 35.4% - 45.3% 25.2% - 35.3% Less than 25.2% 42.6% turnout in European elections Note: compulsory voting in Belgium, Cyprus, Greece and Luxembourg (and Bulgaria from 2019) 89.6% 13.0% 56.3% 45.4% 35.4% 25.2% Women in EP and national parliaments 2019 2009 1999 1989 1979 10% 20% 30% 40% 16.6% 36.5% 10.3% 28.6% European Parliament Member States’ national parliaments The line for national parliaments up to 1996 is illustrative only, based on data available for a limited number of Member States. Turnout is calculated as the total number of votes as a percentage of the total number of registered voters. All national elections taking place in the same year are totalled to generate an annual EU-wide percentage. Women MEPs by Member State (as of 31 March 2019) FI 76.9% HR 54.5% IE 54.5% MT 50.0% SE 50.0% ES 48.1% FR 43.2% UK 39.7% AT 38.9% NL 38.5% IT 38.4% LV 37.5% SI 37.5% EU28 36.5% DE 36.5% BE 33.3% LU 33.3% DK 30.8% SK 30.8% PT 28.6% RO 28.1% PL 25.5% CZ 23.8% EL 23.8% HU 19.0% LT 18.2% BG 17.6% CY 16.7% EE 16.7% EPRS | European Parliamentary Research Service EUI | European University Institute Authors: Giulio Sabbati, Members’ Research Service, EPRS Caterina Francesca Guidi, GlobalStat, EUI PE 635.565 - May 2019 AT A GLANCE Infographic
Transcript of Living in the EU: European Elections and Democracy...Living in the EU: European Elections and...
The concept of participation lies at the heart of the European project, however recent years have seen a decrease in electoral turnout in contrast to the broader feelings of EU citizens of being part of a wider project promoting prosperity, social cohesion, unity and tolerance. Participation differs among different groups, and among the most explored is the gender gap in political participation, even though progress has been achieved over the years. Nowadays many European citizens show an increasing attachment to the EU, and its democracy, despite the perception of corruption and the challenges to press freedom affecting Member States to different degrees.
Living in the EU: European Elections and Democracy
Trends in turnout at national and EP elections
Parliamentary elections in EU Member States
European Parliament
Turnout at EP elections
1979 1984 1989 1994 1999 2004 2009 2014 2019
60%
40%
20%
0%
1984 1994 2004 2014
80%
100%
Turnout at EP elections(2014)
More than 56.3%
45.4% - 56.3%
35.4% - 45.3%
25.2% - 35.3%Less than 25.2%
42.6% turnout in European elections
Note: compulsory voting in Belgium, Cyprus, Greece and Luxembourg (and Bulgaria from 2019)
89.6%13.0%56.3%45.4%35.4%25.2%
Women in EP and national parliaments
2019200919991989197910%
20%
30%
40%
16.6%
36.5%
10.3%
28.6%
European Parliament
Member States’national parliaments
The line for national parliaments up to 1996 is illustrative only, based on data available for a limited number of Member States.
Turnout is calculated as the total number of votes as a percentage of the total number of registered voters. All national elections taking place in the same year are totalled to generate an annual EU-wide percentage.
Women MEPs by Member State(as of 31 March 2019)
FI 76.9%HR 54.5%
IE 54.5%MT 50.0%SE 50.0%ES 48.1%FR 43.2%UK 39.7%AT 38.9%NL 38.5%
IT 38.4%LV 37.5%SI 37.5%
EU28 36.5%DE 36.5%BE 33.3%LU 33.3%DK 30.8%SK 30.8%PT 28.6%RO 28.1%PL 25.5%CZ 23.8%EL 23.8%
HU 19.0%LT 18.2%
BG 17.6%CY 16.7%EE 16.7%
EPRS | European Parliamentary Research Service EUI | European University Institute
Authors: Giulio Sabbati, Members’ Research Service, EPRSCaterina Francesca Guidi, GlobalStat, EUI
PE 635.565 - May 2019
AT A GLANCEInfographic
Do Europeans feel themselves citizens of the EU? Satisfaction of Europeans with the way democracy works in the EU
UKSE
FI
SK
SI
RO
PT
PL
AT
NL
MTHU
LU LT LVCY
IT
HR
FR
ES
EL
IE
EE
DE
DKCZ
BGBE
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
2018 2010 Missing data: Croatia, 2010
Note: the Press Freedom Index shows the degree of freedom available to journalists in 180 countries worldwide. It is compiled based on seven indicators: pluralism, media independence, environment and self-censorship, legislative framework, transparency, infrastructure and abuses. It uses a scale between 0 and 100. The lower the value of the index, the higher the level of freedom; and vice versa a high value means a difficult situation in terms of press freedom. The index divides countries into five groups based on their score: Good situation (0-15), Satisfactory (15-25), Problematic (25-35), Difficult (35-55) and Very serious (55-100). As the score ‘Very serious’ is not attributed to any EU Member State, it is not represented in the graphic.
Corruption Perceptions Index(2018 index)
EU citizens less satis�ed over the years
EU citizens more satis�edover the years
EU average:
2007: 51.3%2018: 57.0%
FI NL SE AT LU PT UK
DK IE DE
CZ MT FR BE EE CY LV HU BG HR PL IT SK LT RO SI ES EL
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0
2007 2018
Press Freedom Index(2018 index)
GoodSatisfactoryProblematicDi�cult
Kg of CO2 equivalent per personNote: the index, which ranks 180 countries and territories by their perceived levels of public sector corruption, according to experts and business people, uses a scale of 0 to 100, where 0 is highly corrupt and 100 is very clean. More than two-thirds of countries worldwide score below 50 on the 2018 CPI, with an average score of just 43. EU countries’ scores rank between 42 and 88 with an average score of 64.7. Between 2012 and 2018, nine Member States decreased their score.
DKFISENLLUDEUKATBEEEIEFRPTPLSICYCZLTLVESMTITSKHRROHUELBG
133891111141718182130363638383841415153576061646777
8885
8582
818080
7675737372
646060
595959585854
5250
48474645
42
Country 2018 Rank(out of 180 countries) Index 2012 2018
2018 EU average:64.7
Variation
Notes
GlobalStat is a project developed by the European University Institute’s Global Governance Programme (Italy) and the Francisco Manuel dos Santos Foundation (Portugal). Data sources for page 1: Trends in turnout at national and EP elections data are from IDEA; Women in EP and national parliaments from EP and IPU, Turnout at EP elections data are from IDEA; Women MEPs by Member State data are from EP. Data sources for page 2: Feeling citizens of the EU data are extrapolated from Standard Eurobarometer 73 (2010) and Standard Eurobarometer 90 (2018), Satisfaction of the European Democracy data are extrapolated from Standard Eurobarometer 68 (2007) and Standard Eurobarometer 89 (2018). CPI is from Transparency International (2018 Index) and Press Freedom Index is from Reporters Without Borders (2018 Index).Extraction date: data were extracted in March 2019.
This ‘At a glance’ note is part of a series ‘Living in the EU’. The other issues in the series cover Climate Change and Energy, Demography, Asylum and Migration, the Economy, and Education and Health.
This document is prepared for, and addressed to, the Members and staff of the European Parliament as background material to assist them in their parliamentary work. The content of the document is the sole responsibility of its author(s) and any opinions expressed herein should not be taken to represent an official position of the Parliament. Reproduction and translation for non-commercial purposes are authorised, provided the source is acknowledged and the European Parliament is given prior notice and sent a copy. © European Union & GlobalStat, 2019.
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Living in the EU: European Elections and DemocracyEPRS and GlobalStat
