I have a request to make of European DUers

[T_i_B]

Please vote in the EU parliamentary elections. I'm not going to say who you lot should vote for, please just exercise your democratic rights.

http://www.europecounts.org.uk/

If you wish to comment on the parties standing, the parties likely to do well, the issues that matter to you (particularly European issues) please feel free.

[Pert_UK]

1. Sorry chap.....

tried but failed.

I've not been back in the country very long, and when I checked on my position on the electoral register it turns out I'd been removed.

There wasn't enough time to get registered again before the election.

I suppose that the BNP will just have to live with one less vote, eh?

:evilgrin:

P.

[LynneSin]

3. you've been removed??? Is Katherine Harris working her magic overseas??

:cry:

[Pert_UK]

9. It's actually fair enough.....

I was out of the country for 16 months. The local councils periodically write to every house in the borough (area) and ask the householders to confirm all eligible voters at the address. I wasn't there any more, so I got removed from the Camden (London) electoral roll - otherwise I could be voting for councillors in London but living in Scotland.

[Spentastic]

2. I'm conflicted

I really want to write

"You're all a bunch of useless fuckers"

on my ballot. I've been deluged with shite from all parties. I don't much fancy any of them. Some bloke sold his vote on eBay. Anyone want mine?

[Voice_of_Europe]

4. Direct Democracy

I live in Switzerland and love our Direct Democracy...
Everything is subject to vote! No lawmakers doing stuff I don't want. Lawmakers just work out the proposals but people get to vote on everything. Much less lobbying/bribery since you can't bribe millions of people so easily.

We have like 3 different kind of votes

-your City (I want / don't want that street, school)
-your State (I want /don't want that law, project)
-Nation (I want /don't want that international treaty, law, tax)

I must really emphasize that there are plenty of situations when the elected lawmakers propose something stupid and the people said no.

In non-direct democracies the lawmakers decide and its done, period.
Then you can mourn about having elected the stupid guy.


The downside of this is that Switzerland has huge problems to fit in with the rest of political Europe. Very reluctant to give away that power to vote directly over ANYTHING. The result being that Switzerland still is not part of the European Union although virtually sitting in the middle of Europe.

Therefor I'll have to pass on the Europe Parliament Vote, but I can vote on tons of other stuff every few months.

[gandalf]

18. Our German governments don't trust its citizens,

so we have no plebiscits...

[T_i_B]

15. The only 2 parties not to post gumph through my door

have been the Greens and the Pro-lifers. However, only the Liberal Democrats have sent me more than 1 leaflet. It all goes in the bin but on the other hand I tend to be equally worried when the parties don't try to woo me.

BTW, I've already voted! Apparently I was the 1st voter at my polling station and the volunteers helping out were grumbling about the sheer size of the ballot paper. The main thing that worries me is that people may not bother to look all the way down the ballot paper, which is worrying as the party at the top of the ballot paper is the neo-nazi BNP.

[Nihil]

30. That's what comes of voting on the way into work ...

> ... the party at the top of the ballot paper is the neo-nazi BNP.

Yeah, same here.

Initially had a :wtf: moment then realised that it was laid out in
alphabetical order ... duh!

Pick 1 from 13:
. BNP
. Christian Coalition Party
. Conservative Party
. Green Party
. Labour Party
. Liberal Democrat Party
. Peace Party
. Pro-life Party
. Respect Party
. UK Independence Party
. (2 other parties who I've forgotten)
. Some bod as a genuine "Independent"

(Most disappointing ... there was no Monster Raving Loony option ...)

Nihil

(Edit: George Galloway's party is "Respect" not "Reform" ... oops)

[muriel_volestrangler]

32. If you're the South East like me, the missing 2 are

"English Democrats" (I've no idea who they are, but they're so big that 3 of their 8 candidates are all surnamed 'Uncles') and the 'Senior Citizens'. I'd never heard of this lot until a leaflet came through the door a cople of days ago, in which they claimed nearly 30 million people in the UK are over 50. This is a direct lie (and it's on their website too) - it's 19.6 million in the 2001 census. What a way to try to get elected - get the one fact in your leaflet wrong! (Or show that you can't even count)

[T_i_B]

33. Never heard of that senior citizen bunch

but the English Democrats I have heard of as they have leafleted me. Their main policy seems to be an English parliament and they strike me as being quite nationalist. Can't say I'm too keen on the look of them. Nonetheless, here is their website

http://www.englishdemocrats.org.uk/

[rman]

5. Two main issues for me

- Software patents a la US; geared towards enabling large corporations to obtain absolute monopoly on any software related idea no matter how trivial and no matter any prior art.

- The European Commision; this non-elected body seems to have more powers then the European Parliament. Ie the proposals wrt software patents seem to go back and forth between the commision and the parliament untill the commision is satisfied with it.

I'll be voting for a small (local/national) left-wing party with one representative in the Eu parliament that seems to be the only one to take a strong principal stance on the issue of software patents and the democratic process in general.

I'll pretend my vote matters in spite of casting my vote by means of a black box.

[gandalf]

17. you are right here

the Commission and the EU Council are certainly much more important than the Parliament.

And we are not asked about the Constitution, and the German press informs us extremely bad about the content of the Constitution. I'm not satisfied at all with this show.

[T_i_B]

28. If you want to know more about the EU constitution

This thread in the meeting room is a reasonable starting point. Be warned though, the proposed EU constitution is 265 pages long!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=111x22516

And regarding your points on this thread, I must admit that I am glad that we have been promised referendums on the Euro and the EU constitution here in the UK. If you ask me the best thing the EU could do is organise an Europe wide poll on the proposed constitution.

[gandalf]

29. I downloaded it several days ago, but

after seeing the length, I gave up my plan to read it quickly.

Thanks for the link, I will have a look at it.

I think it is a task of the major newspapers (their lawyers) to analyze the constitution, and especially to explain the differences between the national constitutions and the European constitution.

Naturally I can read it, but, not being a lawyer myself, I cannot grasp all its implications. But as far as I can see, our newspapers don't help here.

[Mr Creosote]

6. European Parliamentary Elections

I'm in something of a quandary on this one, because I don't feel that these elections fit my idea of what "democracy" should be. Firstly, the MEPs have very little power - so why should I legitimise that by voting? Is it not reasonable only to cast votes in meaningful elections. Secondly, I disagree with the PR multi-member constituency system. We here are in a constituency that includes Bournemouth (for example) which has absolutely nothing in common with West Cornwall. So again why should I vote and legitimise that? Thirdly I disagree with the party list system. I want to vote for a person, not a party.
But having said all that I'll probably vote UKIP and laugh when they beat the war criminals into fourth place.

[newyawker99]

7. Hi Mr Creosote!!

Welcome to DU!1 :toast:

[T_i_B]

12. Well if you don't like the PR system

and I must admit that I don't like it either, then vote for a party that wants to change it. PR, postal voting, EU reform and the like are large parts of what is influencing my decision.

And regarding postal votes, I did that in the last EU elections as I had left home recently before that. I ended up with the chance to vote in 2 Euro constituencies (although I only took up the chance with one of them).

I do not consider postal votes to be at all secure from skullduggery, and I still have reservations about it of a secret ballot nature. I'm just glad I'm currently living in a part of the world that is voting by proper means at present.

[IrateCitizen]

13. Hi Mr. Creosote -- would you like a wafer-thin mint?

:hi:

[Mr Creosote]

14. No. F**k off - I'm full... [Belches]

[Michael_UK]

8. I already have

I posted my postal vote a few days ago - I won't say who I voted for (unless you want me to, I don't mind)

[muriel_volestrangler]

10. The security seems less than perfect in the postal votes

Tories on attack over postal poll

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3790229.stm

Greater Manchester Police are probing malpractice claims while the Lancashire force will question 60 people about 170 proxy vote applications.

The Electoral Commission's chairman Sam Younger said he intended to investigate allegations of fraud and intimidation and look at measures to tackle it.

A friend of mine had his 4 year old son witness his postal vote. Do you think he's taking the piss, or was it just the easiest way of voting?

[elf]

11. We did,

living here since 8 years, we still think we should take advantage of our RIGHT in Democratie to vote!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It's a duty too.
We even provided our 19 years old daughter living in Seattle (we are in Atlanta) with the paperwork! And she voted too

[gandalf]

16. I will vote, BUT...

I have serious doubts about the value of my vote.

The most important decisions in the EU are not made by the European Parliament. Far reaching decisions (which legislative character) are made by the EU Council, which is determined by the national executives (the governments).

Regarding many important topics, at least we in Germany have no choice at all. There is no relevant party who would have opposed the introduction of the Euro (naturally there are pros and important cons) or the enlargement of the EU. And we, the citizens (in Germany), purportedly the real sovereign, will not be asked about the European Constitution. That is a real scandal, in my eyes.

So I regard the whole EU complex as utterly un-democratic.

[Kellanved]

19. The Constitution forbids votes about things like the EU Constitution

The scandal is that the Basic Law was (re-)adopted without a vote in 1990.


As to the roles of Parliament: the EU Parliament gets strengthened continually; upper houses (sort of like the council) with no direct democratic legitimation are not unheard of either.

[gandalf]

21. The Constitution forbid votes at the moment,

but the question was if the Constitution should be changed in this regard.

Süddeutsche Zeitung wrote, "man sollte die europäische Verfassung nicht zum Testprojekt eines Plebiszits machen". Jawoll.

[Spentastic]

20. I've voted

At 8.30 (polls opened at 7am) my vote was the deciding one for the ward in which I live. Apparently I'd been the only visitor to the polling station. If I had known, I'd have voted for myself.

[T_i_B]

31. 08:30?

Blimey! I was voting at 07:05 so in my case it can be excused, but by 08:30 a few people should have popped in on the way to work.

Kick for those voting after work.

:kick:

[Oggy]

22. I will be voting on the way home

I just can not decide between the Greens and Lib Dems, maybe I will give them both a vote, I've got 5 to play with ( including the London Assembly)! Ken will get my Mayoral vote though.

[Kellanved]

23. The Portoguese Social Democrats lost their main candidate

Campaigning for this weekend's European Parliament elections ground to a halt in Portugal Wednesday after the head of the opposition Socialist Party list died from a heart attack following a campaign appearance.

Antonio Sousa Franco, a former finance minister, collapsed shortly after he cut short an appearance at a fish market in Matosinhos, some 300 kilometres (185 miles) north of Lisbon, after heated arguments broke out among rival local factions of his party, witnesses and party officials said.

The 61-year-old was taken to hospital where he died three minutes later despite attempts to revive him, the director of the hospital said. His funeral is scheduled to take place in Lisbon on Friday.

All five main political parties, including the Socialists who had been leading in the polls, immediately suspended or halted campaigning for Sunday's vote.

...
http://www.eubusiness.com/afp/040609174432.xjjwh47c

Rest in Peace Antonio Sousa Franco.

With the European Championship starting on Saturday, this might have further impact on the turnout.

[eurolefty]

24. I've voted already. n/t

:hi:

[Stockholm]

25. I will vote but!

Not for the meat props (acoustic equipment etc. etc.) in the party I usually vote for in the Swedish parliamentary elections, but I will vote!

My gut feeling tells me this election will have a disgracefully low turn out. But who can blame the voters when the politicians treat us like stupid sheep. To prove how idiotic the ads are before the election one of the conservative parties (center party) stole a slogan from another party and put on their own and it actually works!!

[DemExpat]

26. The 4 of us in my family are voting! Low turnout expected....

around 30%.....

I'm off now to the polls.

The choices are not very appealling to me, and the parties that do interest me have little chance in reaching the 3.8% necessary to obtain a seat in the Parliament...:-(

But still feel it is a MUST to exercise our right to vote! Never to be taken for granted.

:kick:

DemEx

[T_i_B]

34. self-deleted

[Capt_Nemo]

27. You can be sure I'm going to vote

The party for which I intend to vote (a federation of leftist movements) has for the first time
a chance of getting 1 MEP elected.

Here the polls are on Sunday.

[T_i_B]

35. Kick for European DUers yet to vote

:kick:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/europe/2004/elections_2004/default.stm