In 4 countries 16 year olds vote, in 27 states young people ask for more Europe
For 38%, voting changes the world. But what do they vote for? The far right is growing and there is fear of the "green wave"
ROME – The tenth round of elections of the European Parliament officially kicked off with the Netherlands on Thursday 6 June, which will end on Sunday at 11pm. Among the Eurocitizens who will go to the polls there are also boys and girls from 16 years. It happens in 4 countries: Austria, Belgium, Germany and Malta. In Greece you must have turned 17, while the threshold of 18 remains for all the other member states, including Italy. In fact, European treaties leave countries free to define the minimum age for voting. It is estimated that 23 million people will vote for the first time.
EUROBAROMETER: FOR 38% OF THE UNDER 30 VOTE CHANGE THE WORLD
Understanding how the under 30s will vote and, above all, whether they will go to vote, are important questions that various research institutes have asked themselves in recent months, starting with Eurobarometer, the European statistical service. From the May survey it emerges that 46% of young people between 15 and 30 are aware of the elections while 38% of those interviewed believe that voting – even for the national legislature and administrative – is the best way to change things. The figure does not seem high, yet it is the highest ever compared to the other proposed actions: 32% follow, convinced that it is effective to post content on social media using certain hashtags, while only 26% believe in student initiatives and 25% in activism through political parties or movements. 22% also believe that the world can be changed by volunteering for solidarity or charitable organizations, while 16 out of 100 young people consider consumption choices crucial for doing good for the environment.
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IN THE EU, 64% SAY THAT THEY INTEND TO VOTE, 13% SAY “NO”
Returning to the importance of the vote to renew the European Parliament, Eurobarometer calculates that among the 27 member states 64% have expressed the desire to go to the polls. In 2019, the average total turnout was 50.66% (+8.06 compared to 2014), a record figure made possible precisely by the large participation of young people. Now, the most enthusiastic are the Romanians and the Portuguese, with 78% and 77% respectively. Followed by the Belgians and the Poles (69%) and then the Spanish >(68%) and Italians, the latter with 67% of “yes, I will go and vote”. In Germany they are 65% and in France they are 62%. Bringing up the rearMalta, Lithuania and Luxembourg with 47%, 46% and 41%. In general, the European average of “no” votes is 13%, with a peak of 13% in Hungary: at the other end of the list is Luxembourg, with 1%. Italy, on the other hand, is at 4%.
ADHERENCE TO THE RIGHTS BUT ALSO EUROPEANISM GROWS< /strong>
In addition to the “if”, it is important to understand “what” they will vote for: at the last elections in 2019 there was talk of a “green wave” to indicate not only the sustained influx of under 30s but also the fact that among the main reasons why young people went to vote was the need to combat climate change. An element that not only guaranteed a particular relevance of the green agenda in the proposals of the various parties in the following five years, but favored the adoption of the so-called Green Deal. Now, analysts denounce a certain “disinterest”: only 32% on average have confidence in the EU as an agent of “green” change. The issue remains a priority for the Danes and Portuguese (69% and 65%) but not for the others and this risks causing both the issue and the presence of the Greens in the European Chamber to retreat, also due to a particularly widespread skepticism in Greece and Finland. Furthermore, it seems that membership of far right parties is increasing among the under 30s, particularly in Germany, France, Belgium, Portugal and Finland, where it is estimated that the parties that propose anti-migrant and security policies. Good news is provided by Eupinions, the European research tool of the Bertelsmann Stiftung, according to whichbetween the ages of 16 and 25 young people are more pro-European than older age groups: 78% are happy that his country is part of the Union (percentage which drops to 65 for the “older”), while 69% say they are more satisfied with the functioning of democracy in the EU (against 55%).
< strong>Any doubts, however, will be dissolved after 11pm on Sunday 9 June, when the polls close in all 27 member states. The Netherlands inaugurated the vote on Thursday 6 June, and on Friday 7 it is the turn of Ireland and the Czech Republic. On Saturday 8 June polls open from 3pm in Italy (until Sunday), as well as in Latvia, Slovakia and Malta. All other countries will vote on Sunday only.