Main focus of Monday, May 4, 2009

A vote for Europe

In one month Europe will vote on a new EU Parliament for the seventh time. The election campaign is gearing up in the 27 member states of the European Union.

La Repubblica - Italy

The left-liberal daily La Repubblica comments on how the Pirate Party is gaining ground in Sweden. The party calls for the scrapping of patents and copyright laws, as well as the protection of the freedom of the Internet: "The Pirate Party is not officially connected to the [online exchange portal] The Pirate Bay but the ties between the website and the political organisation are close. … Until just 20 days ago the party had only a few thousand supporters, and in Sweden's 2006 elections it won only 0.6 percent of the vote. But now a survey by the Swedish daily The Local has set off the alarm bells in the political camp: the Pirate Party's support has gone up to 5.1 percent - a percentage that makes it the fourth strongest party and offers it the prospect of a seat in the EU Parliament. … For sceptics this is just a passing, short-lived phenomenon, but the party is profiting from the huge dissemination of the Internet in Sweden." (04/05/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » EU Policy, » Elections, » Sweden, » Europe
All available articles from » Cristina Nadotti

The Observer - United Kingdom

The Sunday paper The Observer examines the chances of the radical right-wing British National Party (BNP) in the European Parliament elections: "When the north-west region votes in next month's European elections, the BNP doesn't need to win: under a system using proportional representation, its candidate and chairman Nick Griffin needs just 8% of the vote - fractionally more than its 6.5% last time - to secure a historic first European parliament seat for the British far right. ... There are signs that BNP support is shallow, lacking resources and manpower. ... Nonetheless, 4 June remains not just D-day for Brown. It may also be D-day for deciding what kind of society Britain will become. For once, a cross in a ballot box really could change history. And not voting might mean living with the consequences." (04/05/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » EU Policy, » Elections, » United Kingdom, » Europe

Mladá fronta Dnes - Czech Republic

The liberal daily Mladá Fronta Dnes criticises the slogans of the Czech Social Democrats in the European Parliament elections as misleading: "'No cuts in family allowance payments', the Social Democrats say. 'We want a health system without extra payments, we want social security for all, we want affordable rents', they say. Of course it's not the MEPs - who are some of the best-earning men and women in the Czech Republic - who decide how high child allowance benefits will be. But what other choice do the Social Democrats have? They must mobilise as many people as possible. In the 2004 European Parliament elections, only a mere 28 percent of the electorate even bothered to vote." (04/05/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » EU Policy, » Domestic Policy, » Elections, » Czech Republic, » Europe
All available articles from » Jiri Kubik

Neatkarīgā - Latvia

According to the daily Tageszeitung Neatkarīgā Rīta Avīze the elections to the European Parliament in June have triggered a debate about what Latvia's MEPs have achieved in the last few years. "The Latvian MEPs have mainly focused on using their high position to constantly remind people of the Soviet occupation. All the influential people from Italy or Spain who until now have been fed a neverending supply of Russian propaganda now know that the reasons for Latvia's problems lie in the consequences of the occupation. … Finally Europe's eyes have been opened. And now it will be possible to pass a resolution condemning the crimes of communism. This will give Europe a new perspective on history." (04/05/2009)

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More from the press review on the subject » EU Policy, » History, » Remembrance culture, » Latvia, » Europe
All available articles from » Juris Paiders

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