EU Elections 2019

[Giugiaro]

For those who'll be voting on this year's EU election, I'm starting a thread specific to this.

Today there'll be a debate between the candidates for the President of the European Commission, in Maasstricht, at 18:00PM GMT, or 17:00PM ECT

Here's the link to the debate provided by Politico Europe:

Please avoid going too much into Brexit debate. We already have a thread for that.
For first-timers in the forum, it's this one: https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/eu-referendum-the-result-and-aftermath.132044/

 

[Giugiaro]

Just a disclaimer: Manfred Weber, the candidate appointed by the European People’s Party, was not present for the debate.

ZAHRADIL WANTS ‘SCALED-BACK’ EU

Jan Zahradil of the Alliance of Conservatives and Reformists in Europe says that his constituents want a Europe that does less, better. “I want scaled-back” EU, he said. “I don’t want United States of Europe.” Europe should be multispeed, allowing member states to pursue their own policies. A Europe-wide solution is not always the best solution, he added.​

Lili Bayer: https://www.politico.eu/article/maastricht-debate-live-blog-european-election-2019/#1275208

VERHOFSTADT WANTS A BETTER MIGRATION POLICY

Liberal candidate Guy Verhofstadt said his first policy move would be to fight “the lack of European migration policy.” “Member states are not willing to deal together with that issue,” he said, citing the Dublin system, which is “still blocked,” and the challenges of a European economic migration. “This is the lack of European migration policy that makes the fortune of nationalist and populists,” he concluded.

Maïa de La Baume: https://www.politico.eu/article/maastricht-debate-live-blog-european-election-2019/#1275209

EUROPE IS NOT JUST ABOUT CRISES: TIMMERMANS

Timmermans said he understands that for university-age Europeans, it seems the EU does nothing but manage one crisis after another. “I can understand very well …. you think Europe is about crises,” he said, but he added, “We are capable of very bold things … My parents’ generation saw an incredible thing — the reconciliation of France and Germany.
”He said his own generation saw the fall of the Berlin Wall and collapse of communism. “The next generation — our task is to bring real reconciliation between Europe and Africa,” Timmermans said.

David M. Herszenhorn: https://www.politico.eu/article/maastricht-debate-live-blog-european-election-2019/#1275210

TOMIC CALLS FOR STRICT IMPORT RULES

Violeta Tomić said her bold idea for the EU is that the bloc needs “very strict rules about what we are importing” to be able to control the impact on the environment, as well as to examine whether any child labor was involved and ensure work conditions were respected.
She added: “We have to be responsible as Europeans because a lot depends on us. Extreme poverty is a problem, that’s why many people are [fleeing] from their countries. We have to help them to build their society, so that they can live safely there, and not to jump anywhere with NATO and weapons.”

Jacopo Barigazzi: https://www.politico.eu/article/maastricht-debate-live-blog-european-election-2019/#1275211

EICKHOUT’S BIG IDEA

What is Eickhout’s boldest idea for Europe? Making the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) the center of all our policies, including “our trade policies,” he said. Delivering on trade is now the only aim, he said, but trade should instead be about “eradicating poverty.”

Eline Schaart: https://www.politico.eu/article/maastricht-debate-live-blog-european-election-2019/#1275204​

Full live blog of the event: https://www.politico.eu/article/maastricht-debate-live-blog-european-election-2019/#1275211

 

[Groningen]

Manfred Weber was on a birthday party in Bayern, Germany.

 

[Mvann]

Jan zahradill gets my vote if it was possible to vote for him

 

[mikeg]

Jan zahradill gets my vote if it was possible to vote for him

Given that the Tories are a member party of the AC&RiE it is no less possible than it is to vote for Theresa May in an area of the UK outside of Maidenhead

I tend to vote Labour and this time will probably be no exception (a vote for the PES/S&D then) but would be tempted by both ALDE (represented in the UK by the LibDems in GB and Alliance in NI) or possibly the PEL (don't think we have a member party with any representation). That said The LibDems are very atypical of European Liberalism and the PEL maybe a tad extreme on some issues.

 

[Ray303_265]

Will be interesting to see if the Conservatives launch any kind of campaign....got a Brexit Party flyer through today. We live in interesting times indeed.

 

[Giugiaro]

I'm going to make a list to better understand what and who is involved with each other to help clarify who/what to vote in the next EU elections.

European People's Party [EPP]
Commission Candidate: Manfred Weber
UK Representation: Change UK – The Independent Group
UK Party Head MEP: ???

Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats [S&D]

Commission Candidate: Frans Timmermans
UK Representation: Labour Party
UK Party Head MEP: Richard Corbett

Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe [ALDE]
Commission Candidate: Guy Verhofstadt
UK Representation: Liberal Democrats​

UK Party Head MEP: Catherine Bearder

European Conservatives and Reformists [ECR]

Commission Candidate: Jan Zahradil
UK Representation: Conservative Party
UK Party Head MEP: Ashley Fox

Greens - European Free Alliance [Greens]
Commission Candidate: Bas Eickhout
UK Representation: Green Party of England and Wales + Scottish National Party + Plaid Cymru (Party of Wales)
UK Party Head MEPs: Jean Lambert + Ian Hudghton + Jill Evans

European United Left - Nordic Green Left [Far Left]
Commission Candidate: Violeta Tomić
UK Representation: Sinn Féin
UK Party Head MEP: Martina Anderson

Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy [Eurosceptic]
Commission Candidate: N.A. (Nigel Farage?)
UK Representation: Brexit Party + Social Democratic Party​

UK Party Head MEPs: Nigel Farage + ???

Europe of Nations and Freedom [Eurosceptic/Far Right]
Commission Candidate: N.A. (Nicolas Bay?)
UK Representation: UKIP
UK Party Head MEP: Gerard Bearder​

 

[GusB]

What are the rules regarding parties sending personally addressed leaflets? I don't recall signing up for any Brexit Party communications, but one came through the door yesterday.

 

[robk23oxf]

I'm pretty sure political parties can access the electoral roll for a given area. Indeed the tellers at polling stations will ask people for their electoral numbers so they know who has voted but more importantly who hasn't.

 

[eastdyke]

I'm pretty sure political parties can access the electoral roll for a given area.

They seem to know that I vote postally too. Did I give permission for that?

Indeed the tellers at polling stations will ask people for their electoral numbers so they know who has voted but more importantly who hasn't.

But of course there is absolutely no need to tell them ....

FWIW I will have the opportunity to vote for Annunziata Rees-Mogg

 

[DynamicSpirit]

What are the rules regarding parties sending personally addressed leaflets? I don't recall signing up for any Brexit Party communications, but one came through the door yesterday.

They are allowed to send one communication to each voter by Royal Mail, with postage paid for by the Government. I imagine what you've received will have been the Brexit Party's freebie. Obviously, they have to have access to the electoral register to be able to send those out, or to do any effective campaigning/canvassing. Therefore registered parties/candidates are allowed access to the full electoral register. (I'm pretty sure they will be subject to strong data protection requirements in terms of what they can do with that data though).

They seem to know that I vote postally too. Did I give permission for that?

Same thing. You don't give permission for that. If you have registered for a postal vote, that info will be on the electoral register and political parties are allowed access to it.

 

[AM9]

They seem to know that I vote postally too. Did I give permission for that? ...

You don't need to. Of course, no political party has any right to know which candidate(s) you voted for and that is all that matters.

 

[eastdyke]

@DynamicSpirit @AM9 - thanks both, I had not noticed before and was unaware that the information was held on the electoral register. I will visit the library and check out exactly what is included (on the register) next time I'm passing.

 

[DynamicSpirit]

@DynamicSpirit @AM9 - thanks both, I had not noticed before and was unaware that the information was held on the electoral register. I will visit the library and check out exactly what is included (on the register) next time I'm passing.

You're welcome. If you do check at your local library, be aware that there are two electoral registers: The full register, which is what political parties have access to, and the open register, which contains only whatever data in the full register people have given permission to be visible publicly (When you fill in the form to register each year, there's an option to choose whether you want your details on the open register. Obviously anyone with any sense is probably going to tick 'no' there ). I don't know what the particular arrangements are where you live, but I would expect that, in general, you'll only be allowed to look at the full register under supervision (to make sure you don't take photos etc.), whereas you'll be freely able to look at the open register.

 

[GusB]

They are allowed to send one communication to each voter by Royal Mail, with postage paid for by the Government. I imagine what you've received will have been the Brexit Party's freebie. Obviously, they have to have access to the electoral register to be able to send those out, or to do any effective campaigning/canvassing. Therefore registered parties/candidates are allowed access to the full electoral register. (I'm pretty sure they will be subject to strong data protection requirements in terms of what they can do with that data though).

Thanks - I thought the source would be the electoral roll, but I wasn't sure how GDPR fitted into it all. The leaflet was marked return to sender and posted back - I may not have done so if I'd known the postage was paid by the government, though.

 

[eastdyke]

You're welcome. If you do check at your local library, be aware that there are two electoral registers: The full register, which is what political parties have access to, and the open register, which contains only whatever data in the full register people have given permission to be visible publicly (When you fill in the form to register each year, there's an option to choose whether you want your details on the open register. Obviously anyone with any sense is probably going to tick 'no' there ). I don't know what the particular arrangements are where you live, but I would expect that, in general, you'll only be allowed to look at the full register under supervision (to make sure you don't take photos etc.), whereas you'll be freely able to look at the open register.

I opted out of the open register - does that mean I have sense? LOL.
Have been digging. Information that is held.
Sources Electoral Commission:

The only details that appear on the register are your name, address and a marker that determines which elections you can vote in.

https://www.yourvotematters.co.uk/f...details-will-appear-on-the-electoral-register

Electoral Registration Officers are required to keep records of granted absent voters (absent includes postal). For any particular election lists of postal voters must be produced and made available to:

..... The Returning Officer ..... (and as follows):
5.5 Absent voting lists and the information contained on the absent voting record which would be used to generate the lists in case of an election are available for public inspection and copies may be supplied, free of charge, to:
•elected representatives (in as much as they relate to their area)
•local constituency parties
•political parties (in as much as they relate to their area)
•candidates (in as much as they relate to the area in which they are standing or intending to stand)
5.6 Under data protection legislation, records should be maintained of every person or organisation supplied with absent voting lists to demonstrate that you are complying with the principles of processing personal data, ensuring that it is processed lawfully, fairly and in a transparent manner. .....

https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/162580/Part-5-Absent-Voting.pdf

Thank you again for your help

 

[Giugiaro]

Can someone help me fill out the Party Head MEP's for each UK political party?

 

[Typhoon]

They seem to know that I vote postally too. Did I give permission for that?

A positive from them knowing, you won't get a knock on the door on election night asking you to go to vote.

 

[eastdyke]

A positive from them knowing, you won't get a knock on the door on election night asking you to go to vote.

I was never bothered anyway, I tell each party that I am a staunch supporter of another - with no discussion

 

[sk688]

Can someone help me fill out the Party Head MEP's for each UK political party?

S+D(Labour) = Richard Corbett
ECR(Tory) - Ashley Fox
ALDE(LD) - Catherine Bearder
ENF(UKIP) - Gerard Batten
EFA(Green + SNP + PC ) - Jean Lambert(G) ,Ian Hudghton(SNP) , Jill Evans(PC)
EUL(SF) - Martina Anderson

 

[Struner]

Ian Hudghton isn't standing?

 

[Giugiaro]

Thank you @sk688 for the help. The list has been updated.

 

[hexagon789]

Thus far I have had one leaflet from Change UK, one from the Lib Dems and one from Willie Rennie (Scottish Lib Dems leader).

Nevertheless I've decided I'll be voting as I always have thus far.

 

[fowler9]

Wow, no offence but a thread about the EU elections without discussing Brexit too much? What exactly is the intended discussion?

 

[hexagon789]

Wow, no offence but a thread about the EU elections without discussing Brexit too much? What exactly is the intended discussion?

Presumably voting intentions and results I guess.

 

[Struner]

Wow, no offence but a thread about the EU elections without discussing Brexit too much? What exactly is the intended discussion?

Isn't that discussed in post #1?

 

[Giugiaro]

And a little bit of information about how the heck EU politics work, and how can one person influence those politics.

The EU is horrible in trying to clarify its mechanisms and how the active populace can democratically shape it, and local politics take the opportunity to use the generalised unawareness to make the EU a sort of massive poll for the next General Elections. Obviously the Media jump right on to the Hype Train. Not good, neither for the EU, nor for its democratic legitimacy, nor for each nation and its citizens.

One of the things that shock me the most when translating local politics (not just the UK ones but also the ones in Portugal) to EU politics is how parties seem to change identity when making the move to the EU.
For example, notice how the Green Party, Scottish National Party and Plaid Cymru are all part of the same political group (Greens), while Sinn Féin side with the Communists!

While in Portugal, the Socialist Party (S&D) rejoiced for winning a majority in the last EU elections against the Social Democrat Party and CDS - People's Party coalition (EPP), when S&D lost to the EPP at the EU level.
Or the fact that people voted for the Earth Party expecting a conservative rightwing party, without realising it would eventually become (at first) part of ALDE. Now that's what I call a plot twist!!!

 

[AlterEgo]

Sinn Féin side with the Communists!

This would be obvious if you knew SF’s rhetoric - 32 county socialist republic and all that.

 

[anme]

The EU is horrible in trying to clarify its mechanisms and how the active populace can democratically shape it

This is not true. Have you ever tried, for example, looking at any of the EU's websites? They have lots of freely available material, in all the EU's languages, explaining in simple terms what the EU does and how it works.

The EU is far *better* at this than any national government I know.

 

[Giugiaro]

Well... you are right about that, but it doesn't follow through down to the media and populace.
It's due to those readings that I get to understand what's what and what can I do in the midst of EU politics as a citizen.

But unfortunately, the media doesn't care about that, preferring the usual treatment of "look at those lads planning to ban our memes!".
It's not the EU's fault though, but for most people to be completely oblivious to what really is happening up at that level, something is not being done or done correctly.