The elections to the Chamber of Deputies, which had been fixed for the same day as the European elections, largely dominated the electoral campaign in Luxemburg.
Defeat for pro-European government
1 October 2004The Nationalist Party (Partit Nazzjonalista) emerged shaken from the European elections, losing more than 10% of its votes in relation to the parliamentary elections of 1998 and those of April 2003. It paid the price for its polices of “adapting the Maltese economy to the European Union”.
Left progress, setback for government
1 October 2004Setbacks for the Christian Democrats and the liberals of the VVD and D66, who have governed the country in coalition since 2002, progress for the social democrats; the European elections in the Netherlands followed the pattern of many other countries, with the government being punished and the opposition making progress.
The Socialistische Partij: A Dutch phenomenon?
1 October 2004, byAt the European elections in June 2004 the Socialistische Partij (SP, Socialist Party) gained 332,326 votes in the Netherlands, or 7% of the total votes cast and two seats in the European Parliament. At the European elections of 1999, with 178,666 votes (5.1% of votes cast) it had one deputy elected. It is a remarkable success for a party which is situated to the left of social democracy and the Greens.
The elections that didn’t take place
1 October 2004, byIf not for the low rate of participation (20.87%), neither the liberals nor the radical right would have been able to hope for the good scores they registered at the European elections. Their triumph only reflects the depth of the social crisis in Poland.
Left Bloc elects first European deputy
1 October 2004, byThe European Parliament elections of June 13, 2004 saw the worst result for the right wing parties since the revolution of April 25, 1974. The Socialist Party was the main beneficiary, but the Left Bloc achieved its best score since it was set up and it was the only party to increase its number of votes in relation to the parliamentary elections of March 2002.
Neither celebration nor despondency
1 October 2004, byThe European election in Scotland had none of the high drama or excitement of the Holyrood election [to the Scottish assembly] last year. Both the Scottish Socialist Party (SSP) and the Greens had hoped to make a breakthrough into the European Parliament. Several polls had predicted that the UK Independence Party would take 11 per cent of the vote. But when the votes were finally tallied up, there was virtually no change in the arithmetic of the Scottish contingent of MEPs.
Apathy and confusion
1 October 2004, byLess than one in five Slovaks participated in the European Parliament elections in June. A succession of demagogic and dishonest governments have created a culture of apathy and lack of interest, where neither social democratic nor anti-capitalist currents seem able to take root.
How low can you go?
1 October 2004Across the European Union, the minimum wage varies from 121 EUR in Latvia to 1,403 EUR in Luxemburg.
Three surprises
1 October 2004, byContrary to predictions, Slovenian voters showed no great enthusiasm to participate in these European elections. During the referendum on Slovenia’s entry into the European Union in March 2003 the abstention rate was only 45% - less than in a number of eastern European countries. This June 13 it was 71.6%.