As the european elections are coming, I was wondering whether the nomination of a new Prime minister in France - if considered as a strategical choice from the president to win the elections - couldn't hide the european issues that underline the elections. Indeed, given that the Prime minister will be judged on his national policy, is there not a risk that, again, the elections will be national-centered? Then, in a context in which the European Union is threatened by nationalists parties, wouldn't this conjoncture cause a real damage to the EU?
Anything could happen. How politics works in terms of public opinion, specially when it comes to elections in different instances, is a very abstract and volatile matter. For example, in Spain, not as much people vote in the european elections as in the national elections. It could be because the impact of the national political decissions is more direct than the european political ones (we could catalogue the last ones as more "indirect"). Another factor to take into account would be the political campaign; the political parties do much more campaigning when it comes to national elections rather than when the european elections are going to take place.
In any case, as you point out the risk of the european issues being hide by the national elections in France could be very real.
But, considering that 2024 will also be the year of the American elections and that the reelection of D. Trump is not impossible, it seems impérative for the EU to think about how to reinforce itself. In this case, these EU elections appears as a good occasion to talk about what kind of EU we want. But if we do not take this chance, aren't we just condamning ourselves to lose any decisional power?
That would be a very different discussion. It is not the same to talk about the relevance of european elections in the abstence of an increased public interest in changing the EU political orientations, and to consider that this elections could be an interesting opportunity to influence in the geo-political decissions of the EU and its independence from mayor national powers (shuch as USA).
Thank you for your answers. I made this link because some politicians or analysts often mention the fact that those elections will be the occasion to determine what kind of Europe citizens want.
If the public (I'm focusing on the French public, but maybe it can touch other countries?) is not interested in european elections, is it not politics' responsability to point out what will be the issues of the upcoming votes?
I'm sorry if I lack of coherence in my questions. I hope they will not appear too "out-of-the-blue"...
Thank you for your questions Eva. In my opinion, this type of conversation helps to awaken an interest in such important matters as the relevance of voting to impact in the political orientations of the EU; being this a matter of such importance, but that isn't discussed by the people as much as desired.
I think your questions were reffered to two different matters that are correlated because they have one factor in common: the european elections. But I didn't feel like they were out of the blue at all. Those type of questions are not asked very often and it is benificial for the public opinion and criteria that you bring this issues to the table.
I am not an analyst or a political scientist. Indeed, I am just a master's student investigating about the asylum and migration politics of the EU. In any case, I hope my answers were useful.
If anybody else with further formation in these matters wanted to provide their opinion it would be awesome!
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