Nineteen countries vote in Euro elections

People in 19 countries chose from candidates for the European parliament today - the first election since the EU’s historic expansion eastward in May.

Six other countries had already cast ballots in the four-day election, which voters often use as a report card for their national governments.

Issues in the campaign ranged from Europe’s role in Iraq to the European Union’s difficult attempts to negotiate a constitution. Some parties fear the charter would threaten national sovereignty.

Another question for Europe’s future is the bid by predominantly Muslim Turkey to join the 25-member group.

Some 14,670 candidates vied for 732 five-year seats. The election was a first for the 10 new EU countries, which include former communist countries like Poland and Hungary.

In new and old member nations alike, politicians struggled to overcome voter apathy about the parliament, whose role is often misunderstood.

“You have around 95% of Spaniards who I would bet don’t even know which countries currently make up the European Union,” said Gorka Esparza, 24, a street sweeper in Madrid. He cast his ballot, but figured many others won’t bother because “Europe looks distant to us here".

Many voters focused on national issues, not European concerns.

French voters, for example, were expected to cast a censure vote against the conservative government, which has led unpopular reforms of pensions and other pillars of France’s treasured social protections. The opposition Socialists were likely to profit – as they did in April regional elections.

One Green voter in Paris remarked that the government kept fairly quiet about the vote.

“They’re afraid of a confirmation of what happened in April,” said Sylvie Angelelli, a legal assistant.

Germany’s conservative opposition styled the election as an opportunity to punish Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder’s government for the country’s stagnant economy and high unemployment.

In Hungary, political analyst Istvan Perger noted that hardly any campaign slogans even mentioned Europe, concentrating instead on disparaging opponents.

“This campaign was not about Europe,” Perger said. “It was about every party trying to consolidate its position on the domestic political landscape.”

There were some quirky candidates, including a Slovenian soccer star, an Estonian supermodel and a Czech porn star who campaigned in provocative outfits.

Some politicians focused on a single issue in campaigning. Hans Kronberger, a candidate for Austria’s Freedom Party, has been featured on campaign posters saying: “Turkey in the EU? Not with me!” In Vienna, which has a sizeable Turkish population, Adolf Hitler-style moustaches were drawn on several of the posters.

In Poland, spending cuts to meet EU requirements have reduced enthusiasm for membership, with unemployment at around 20%.

The disillusionment fuelled popularity for Self-Defence leader Andrzej Lepper, who lambasted current political leaders as thieves who sold out the country’s interests with their drive to join the EU.

Balloting has already wrapped up in the Netherlands, Britain, Ireland, the Czech Republic, Malta and Latvia.

Sunday is Italy’s second day of voting, and ballots were also to be cast in Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Slovakia, Spain and Sweden.

Though the European Parliament cannot introduce legislation, its powers have strengthened since its first elections in 1979. Then, it provided a balance against the EU’s powerful unelected commission.

Now, it has EU budget approval and influence over legislation on trade, environment and consumer affairs. Legislators shuttle back and forth between sessions in Strasbourg, France, and Brussels, Belgium.