May 2019
Processing Request
DID YOU KNOW?That if you do not vote you give the choice for your future to someone else. In 2014, nearly 226 million (58%) eligible voters ignored their chance to determine what their future in the European Union (EU) would be over the following 5 years. EDC News: EU Elections 2019 - Why vote?What is the point of voting, it doesn’t change anything!! This statement is often heard from many EU citizens but this is FALSE. Each vote counts as it determines the direction of the decisions that have a direct impact on your life. They decide how Europe will act in the coming years to address your concerns about jobs, business, security, migration and climate change. How? By voting in the European Parliament (EP) elections the voter does not only decide on the make-up of the EP, who is the co-legislator body of the EU, but also has great influence on who will be in charge of the executive branch of the EU, the European Commission. The 2014 votes brought about many changes in the EU for its citizens, such as:
These projects depend on funding from the EU budget. Each year the budget must be approved by parliament and depending on which European political group is in power the allocation of funding to these projects can be increased or decreased. Your vote determines which European political group will have the power over the EU Budget. At a national level, most EU citizens must vote for candidates within a national party. Once elected the Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) from each Member State will sit with their respective EP group and not in national blocks. Thereby , it is important for voters to recognise that national parties do not play a role in decision making within the EP; this is the responsibility of the EP political groups. This one vote, which takes place every five years and takes no longer than a few minutes of your time to carry out, is highly underrated in the power it holds. The vote itself has a direct effect on 28 countries and over half a billion people. It shapes the course in which the voter’s Member States will cooperate with its fellow Member States and how the EU itself will outreach to the rest of the world. Most people will be within a few minutes walking or driving distance of a polling station. The elections will take place between 23-26 May, and the polling stations will be open from early in the morning to late in the afternoon. The outreach and power that this vote has, both inside and outside a citizen’s Member State should be worth the few minutes it takes to carry out. For more information:
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