The proverbial indifference with which the European people regard the parliamentary elections, has caused the European Parliament itself to “explain” in their website “Why Vote?”: “If you don’t bother, somebody else will. Get the Europe you want! If you don’t vote, don’t complain.” What a strategy to fight against abstentionism, right?

But the truth is that with a process of European institutionalization through a more than questioned Constitution, the financial crisis and the banking systems of the “leader countries” and other issues like anti-immigration laws which are getting increasingly stronger in key countries, the future of the EU seems to be dependant on other spaces, in addition to the elections.

The advance of the right wing positions in the Parliament was overwhelming: The European People´s Party (EPP) gained 264 seats, consolidating itself as the main political force of the EU, exceeding by 100 seats, the ones occupied by the Socialist Party.

This advance of the right wing can also be seen in the 80 seats gained by legislators from the Liberals and Democrats for Europe, and the 35 MPs of the Union for Europe of the Nations, made up mainly by right wing parties.
On the other side, the European Greens increased their representation by 9 seats, reaching 52 benches, while the European United Left fell from 41 seats to 32.

The civil society and the environmentalist movement continue with campaigns against discriminatory policies, benefits to transnational corporations and the destruction of small economies by European trade, said Tom Kucharz to Real World Radio, member of Ecologistas en Accion and the organization www.lospuntosnegros.org

This organization has been developing peaceful protests outside EU buildings, especially in Spain, blaming the bloc for the financial, economic, environmental and social crisis we are facing.

Kucharz predicted even harder times for immigrant sectors, since if we add the votes from the popular, nationalist and liberal parties, the absolute majority in the European Parliament is easily obtained.

Kucharz highlighted the entrance of xenophobic, racist and homophobic MPs elected in the UK, the Netherlands or Poland. Are these the guardians of the “Fortress Europe”?

Under this obscure perspective, is there an alternative from the social movement that allows to channel the discontent of the more conscious sectors of the European population? This was asked to Tom Kucharz whose answer took into account the realities of each country. Although he pointed out that there are left wing candidates with a speech contrary to the current hegemony of the UE, he believes that participating in the elections is legitimating an already out-of-date institution.

Finally, Kucharz analyzed the deep causes of the indifference prevailing in the European peoples towards the composition of the parliament as a direct consequence of the institutionalization scheme provided in the Lisbon Treaty.

See also:

1. www.europarl.europa.eu/elections2009/whyvote/default.htm?language=ES
2. los-puntos-negros.blogspot.com/