EUParliament Press Chief Duch to EuroFora:How EUElection Abstention Trend stopped+Participation grew

*Strasbourg/EU Parliament/Angelo Marcopolo/- At the 1st Press Briefing on New EU Parliament's Inaugural Plenary Session in Strasbourg, as it emerged from the latest May 2014 EU Elections, its experienced Press Director and Spokesman, Jaume Duch, replying to an "EuroFora"s Question on the Need to Find the Real Causes for the Present Success to Stop a previous trend towards more Abstention, and even Start Augmenting EU Citizens' Participation, for the 1st time after 15 Years, so that MEPs could Timely prepare for the Next, 2019 EU Elections to reach even Better Results, f.ex. by Aiming to arrive anew at a Majority Participation, positively Highlighted a possibility for relevant EU Parliament Debates and Decisions throughout the next 6 Years (2014-2019) :

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 - "In the latest EU Elections, you have contributed to succeed to Stop the Trend for a Sharp Fall of  EU Citizens' Participation, towards a growing Majority Abstention, which pre-existed since 1999, (i.e. the Year which was notoriously marked by Turkey's  controversial and unpopular EU bid), as you know, as well as to mark at least a small Rise in the number of Participants", throughout the overall EU-wide area, which was "even much Bigger in certain Countries, such as, f.ex. France, Greece, etc", "EuroFora" observed.

=> - "Do you think that it might be possible, either during this Week, or in the foreseable Future, to have a chance for a substantial Debate inside EU Parliament, in order to Find out which were  the real Cause(s), and what Conclusions should be made (on this obviously crucial issue for European Democracy) for the Future ?", we asked.  - "Because it has to be prepared, and not left only for the last minute, so that we could have, then, (on the Horizon of 2019), a fully-fledged Re-Launch" of EU Citizens' Participation, "hopefuly becoming anew a Majority", (as it was initially, since back on 1979), "EuroFora" concluded.

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 - "I think", indeed, "that this is a(n EU Parliament's) Debate which starts Today", (i.e. already since the 1st Plenary Session of the New EU Parliament, as it emerged from the latest, May 2014, European Elections : July 1 - 3, 2014), Duch sharply replied to "EuroFora"s Question"

+ -  But, "it will also be of a duration which migt take as long as throughout all the next 5 Years !", the experienced EU Parliament's Press Director and Spokesman wisely concluded on this crucial point.

=> - "So that you will have enough Time to follow that" EU Parliament's Debate, he added smiling in fine, apparently addressing himself to all present Journalists in Strasbourg, including "EuroFora"...

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In fact, there are exceptionaly Big Issues at Stake in this regard during the forthcoming Years, considering particularly the Fact that many Top EU-Politicians have already stressed the Need to resolutely Advance soon towards a much Stronger EU and/or €uroZone Integration, specially on Economic but also on certain Political issues, which, obviously, couldn't really succeed unless it manages to be Based on a Strong Democratic Legitimacy given by People's Votes.

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According to Official EU Parliament's Data, the Sharpest ever Falls in Participation suddenly occured back in the 1999 and 2004 EU Elections, when it Droped from an Absolute Majority of 56,67% of Registered Voters, as it had been on 1997, Down to only a .. Minority of 49,51% for the 1st Time in History on 1999, (i.e. a long Fall of - 7,16% Less than before !), to which was also added another Sharp Fall of - 4,04% less, droping Down to only an even smaller Minority of 45,47% on 2004. Those 2 Sharp and unprecedented Big Falls of Participation  down into a Shrinking Minority of registered Voters, during 1999 - 2004, correspond to a period of growing Controversies on Turkey's Unpopular EU bid, which notoriously Deceived, Angered and Dissuaded many EU Citizens even from participating to such events.

On 2009 that continuous Trend to Fall suddenly Decelerated, (particularly after the Elections of President Nicolas Sarkozy in France,  and of Chancellor Angie Merkel in Germany, as well as of a brillant Win of most ChristianDemocrats/EPP parties accross EU Member Countries, most of whom were officialy Opposed to Turkey's controversial and unopopular EU-bid), lowering just- 2,47%, until it reached a Participation of 43%.

But it's only this Year, with the May 2014 EU Elections, that, for the 1st Time after 15 Years (1999-2014), there is No more any other Fall of Participation, that previous Trend having been fully Stopped now, by succeeding to Keep a Participation of more than 43% in 2014 as back on 2009, and even Starting to Grow, at least a little better, with a +0,9% (almost +1%) Higher Number of Participants now on 2014 (43,9%), than back on 2009, (in certain EU Member Countries even much More : Comp. Supra).                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

(../..)

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