With less than a week until the European elections, the heat is on: every last bit of effort put into your campaigns now might translate into one more progressive in the European parliament – and if recent years have shown us anything, it’s that the political prowess of even a single progressive MEP should never be underestimated: they are a driving force behind many impressive achievements, such as this year’s EU-wide minimum wage directive. But let’s not stop on June 6th: new digital organizing tactics allow us to create relationships with voters that far outlast election times. And tales of political disenchantment notwithstanding, recent surveys reveal a large reserve of European progressives ready to be found, mobilized, engaged, and organized.
The 2024 European elections are almost here: people across Europe will soon be casting their votes –– letting their political representatives know what direction they would like the European Union to take. While the EU has always been a project defined in practice, we currently live in a time of especially big societal and political shifts. Long-held beliefs about democratic engagement are being challenged, while 20th-century party structures and forms of political organizing are being replaced with new, often more fluid and direct, digital alternatives.
This presents a challenge to existing political parties, to be sure –– but also great opportunities. The same developments that undermine our established ways of doing things, open the door to entirely new ways of engaging voters and creating lasting communities built on shared progressive values. Embracing the changes, we can use the new tools available to us to strengthen the foundations of our democracies and expand the possibilities of Europe. In many ways, what is possible in Europe has already been expanding: progressive efforts have been making the European Union more social and more green in recent years.
Yes, we are currently facing many problems in Europe and the rest of the world. The uncertainty that characterizes any time of transformation is felt by many people and, unfortunately, partially functions as the wind in the sails of far-right parties all over Europe. But we have equally witnessed the rise of progressive, EU-wide answers in recent years: integrated responses to the damage done by the Covid pandemic, to the looming threat of climate change, to the spread of hate and disinformation on social media networks, and to the growing number of attacks on LGBTQI-people. The relentless efforts of some progressive MEPs have led to the protection of Uber drivers and migrant workers alike and to the establishment of an EU-wide minimum wage directive.
This is what we would like to emphasize, therefore: every last progressive MEP counts. If we get the right people in the right places, we can continue to use the European Union as a vehicle for progress.
This means getting our voters on board, but not just during election time: new forms of digital organizing allow us to engage with people all year round, making them an active part of the democratic process in ways previously not possible. Although there has been much talk of political disenchantment in recent years, recent numbers don’t support this story: data from the Spring 2024 Eurobarometer survey indicates a strong interest among citizens in the upcoming European elections, with a record voting intention rate of 71 percent. Another survey, the 2022 European Social Survey, found that those Europeans who identify as left-wing are twice as likely to donate to a political cause as those in the middle or on the right. This survey, which uses questionnaires to map the current attitudes, opinions, and behaviors of European populations based on their activities in the 12 months prior to the research, also found that about 83 million progressive Europeans had been actively involved in political activities ranging from volunteering to signing petitions or sharing political content online. The survey did not include all EU countries, so the real number of progressive Europeans ready to take action is higher. All this goes to show that the progressive side in Europe has significant reserves of people wanting to be engaged.
It is up to us to find them and organize them –– not just now, but continuously, lastingly, so that together we can keep working towards a progressive, social European Union of inclusion; a green, future-proof, and united Europe for all. Do you need any help during the final push? We can support you in creating an effective GOTV strategy, and we would be equally happy to talk to you about ways to create lasting communities beyond the upcoming European elections on June 6th-9th.
Get in touch at info@centerfordigitalaction.eu.
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