4 Trends to Watch in the Upcoming European Elections
Four pivotal trends shaping the 204 European elections and insights for EU public affairs professionals and campaigners.
With the new year starting and the European elections drawing near, I wanted to raise a few points that, for me, will define this election, and that EU public affairs professionals and campaigners should closely follow.
But before we start…
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Unexpected Communications Channels
Last week, European Commissioner Margaritis Schinas called pop singer Taylor Swift to call young EU electors to register and vote in the 2024 elections.
While this sounds gimmicky, I would not be surprised to see, this year, many innovative ways to call voters to the polls. Either through pop stars or new platforms such as Threads or mediums that we are still to discover, I am certain that communication in all forms will play a key role in this campaign.
European institutions are already having a go at these new communications trends. Have a look at the European Parliament’s own go-vote campaign together.eu. This might be
Pledge for Transparency
The Qatargate scandal was felt way beyond the Brussels bubble.
And while this was another occasion to talk about Europe, it also left a stain on its institutions and representatives.
Without many risks, I’d bet that candidates will play on this cord—either to promise to clean the European Parliament from corruption for good or to put forward what they actually did when they were in a position of power.
In any case, MEP-hopefuls will have to show themselves irreproachable if they want a seat.
What Does a Right-Wing Parliament Mean for Lobbyists?
There is a lot of speculation going on on the future of the European Parliament, and its possible right-lenience after the June elections.
But beyond the obvious and legitimate question of the political leaning of the House, it also raises the question of how well-received lobbyists will be by the new lawmakers, and the business policies for meeting with officials whose political family has so far been a no-go.
Lobbyists should think today about the need for revising these policies if the ID and ECR groups are to play a bigger role in EU legislation.
The Future of the European Parliament’s Centre
Another question worth considering is the future of the Center groups (Renew, the Greens) at the European Parliament.
As of today, both the Greens and Renew are key to securing majorities for texts. What if these groups were put on the sidelines after a victory of the far-right? Would their centre position still make them a power to work with to secure votes in a divided Parliament, or a lame duck, only left to comment on EU politics without getting involved?
Hot Topics: Ecology, Migrations, and Security
These topics involve both international problems and local solutions at the same time. And Europe’s capability to answer them is key.
What baffles me is how important the EU is, for voters, to answer global challenges. When facing something as life-changing as COVID-19, Europeans turned to Europe. Same thing with the war in Ukraine. Same thing for climate change. Europeans expect a lot of Europe (and have high hopes too) if these are the main issues for the June elections.
Also, see how the political debate switched away from purely economic concerns? During the last elections, all we heard about was '“cutting red tape”, “jobs”, “investments”. Of course, these are important issues, and in some countries extremely relevant, but at the EU level?.. Less so.
Thank you for reading
With that said, what’s the trend you’ll keep an eye on for the upcoming elections? Leave us a comment below.