ALERT. As of today, videos and photos of voting in European elections in different member states are made available for free download here.
ELECTION NIGHT. Check updated practical information on the European election days with, among others, a timeframe of projections and results publication, audiovisual support for TV and radio, country-by-country election related information, last minute accreditation, and workstations, around noon at the EP news website.
VOTING TODAY. Polling stations open in the Netherlands and the UK today. 53 million UK voters can cast their ballots for the 591 candidates competing for 73 seats. If the country is still an EU member state on 2 July, the current composition of the Parliament, with 751 MEPs will continue to apply. In the Netherlands, around 13.5 million Dutch voters will select 26 candidates out of 308 running. Tomorrow’s (24 May) voters: Czechia and Ireland. Official results can be announced only after the last European voting booths close at 23:00 on Sunday.
EU28. Rule of law in Hungary, new copyright rules, the 2017 State of the Union debate and the election of European Parliament president Antonio Tajani were the most covered media topics of the outgoing Parliament, with coverage gradually picking up during the term. On average, 1,100 articles were published during each plenary session. For more data, check here.
CROATIA, GERMANY. In a get-out-and-vote drive on Instagram and Facebook on the eve of the elections, activists will encourage dog walkers in Osijek to snap pictures of their pets at polling stations and post them on social media with #izadiglasajprosetaj (#getouttakeawalkvote) on 26 May. In Frankfurt am Mein, volunteers with flyers will concentrate on humans to motivate to go to the polling stations.
CZECHIA. The biggest Czech commercial television station TV NOVA will be broadcasting its morning show live from the European Parliament tomorrow (24 May), to mark the first of two European election voting days (24-25 May) in the country. The three-hour-long show will feature a former Czech Minister of Foreign Affairs and a political analyst, and will focus on the European Parliament, its past achievements and future challenges, and the EP elections.
DENMARK. Artists from across the world have been staging a nation-wide exhibition, titled “It’s Urgent!” that comments on the current political situation, displayed on billboards during the election period. It includes contributions by Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson. Individual works are displayed across Denmark until the end of June, and the entire collection is on show during Heartland Festival from 30 May – 1 June, and subsequently in the courtyard of Kunsthal Charlottenborg from 18 June – 11 August.
FRANCE. Valerie Thatcher, a Lyon-based volunteer for the #thistimeimvoting campaign who walked from Lyon to Brussels (757 km) between mid-March and mid-April to encourage people to vote in the European elections, will be in Paris tomorrow (24 May) to respond to Greta Thunberg’s call for a Climate March. Campaign volunteers join her at noon, in front of the European Parliament office, in Paris before the march begins.
ITALY. Volunteers set up stands today (23 May) in their Universities (University of Genoa, Cattolica University of Milan and University of Turin) to raise awareness of the EU elections and exchange ideas with their peers. On Election Day (Sunday 26) the volunteers will share their personal experience on their social media accounts, throughout the day. #thistimeimvoting in Italy
LATVIA. Prisoners in nine of Latvia’s penal institutions were among the first to cast their votes yesterday (22 May). 1,357 people, more than half of the prison’s inmates eligible to vote, had registered for the election. Registration remains open, allowing more inmates to cast their vote.
NETHERLANDS. Why do the Dutch vote on Thursday 23 May and not on their usual voting day Wednesday? European rules state that the elections have to take place in a period starting on Thursday and ending on Sunday. As a result, Wednesday was not eligible. Thursday was the day closest to Wednesday. Friday, Saturday and Sunday are ruled out as these are days are meant for rest for a number of religious groups. Find out about who is running in the Netherlands.
SLOVAKIA: “Don’t let those uninterested in Europe take it away from us”: this is the main message of the pre-election video featuring Slovak actors, comedians and a rapper released by "Youth against fascism" activists. “The EU brings us a lot of benefits and yet, five years ago, 87% of us did not vote. If this repeats again, every second vote could go to extremists. Do not let this happen,” they say. Find out about voting details in different countries.
SPAIN. Ana Carrasco, the first female motorcycle rider to win a World Championship, several Spanish female basketball players, who won bronze medals at the 2018 World Cup, and Carolina Navarro, nine time former World Padel Tour number one and World Champion in doubles and in national squads’ tournament features in the new go-to-vote video published by the Madrid EP office.
SWEDEN. The final lead candidate debate on the main public TV channel SVT 1 will take place on Friday 24 May at 20:00. It will feature European Parliament newcomers Helene Fritzon (S&D), Tomas Tobe (EPP), Alice Bah Kuhnke (The Greens), Karin Karlsbro (ALDE), Sara Skyttedal (EPP) as well as "re-runners" Peter Lundgren (ECR), Fredrick Federley (ALDE), Malin Bjork (GUE/NGL) and Soraya Post (S&D).
EUROPE. Glossy magazines including Vogue in Italy, Germany, Poland, L’Uomo Vogue, Elle in Poland and Glamour in Hungary are calling on their readers to vote, with testimonials by models and big names from the fashion world, such as Vanessa Paradis or Joel Kinnaman. The campaign runs on Instagram #WeloveEU – with a recent cameo by EP spokesman Jaume Duch.
By: N. Peter Kramer
