site.btaUnprecedented Interest among Luxembourg's Politicians in European Elections

Two days away from the European elections in Luxembourg, home of the European Parliament buildings and the European Court of Justice, the interest among politicians is unprecedented, with a record number of 13 parties and 78 candidates. 

Luxembourg is electing six MEPs. In the current European Parliament, four parties sent MEPs - two each from the ruling Christian Social People's Party (CSV) and its smaller coalition partner, the Democratic Party (DP), and one each from the Luxembourg Socialist Workers’ Party (LSAP) and the Greens.

The CSV is the only one that has ever sent up to three MEPs, and exceeding 30% of the vote was the norm for it until the last elections. In 2019, the party's result collapsed, as it received just 21.1% of the vote (compared to 37.65% in 2014) and lost one of its three seats by then to the Democratic Party.

The party's goal now is to win back its third seat in the European Parliament.

The Democratic Party, on the other hand, will seek to consolidate its results from the previous elections. In the 2019 European elections, the party won first place, receiving 21.44% of the vote, a sharp increase compared to 2014 (14.77%).

The LSAP is also hoping to reverse a downward trend that took it from a solid second place in 1999 with 23.58% of the vote to 12.19% in 2019, in fourth position. The socialists, who have had a single MP since 1999, have nevertheless overcome the outflow of votes in 2014 (11.75%) and are aiming to win back a second seat in 2024.

The Greens are undoubtedly the party most at risk on June 9. After their failure in the parliamentary elections, the challenge for them will be to keep their seat in the European Parliament, which they have so far managed to hold onto since 1994. 

Among the parties that could enter the European Parliament for the first time, the Alternative Democratic Reform Party (ADR) seems to be in the best position. With just over 10% of the vote in 2019 (7.53% in 2014), the conservative formation has benefited from the momentum of the parliamentary elections, during which it gained an additional seat. Moreover, right-wing nationalist and populist parties, including ADR, could achieve a historic result at the European level in the upcoming elections.

Are people interested in elections

While party leaders are excited about the upcoming European elections, in Luxembourg life is going on as usual. In some places, streets are blocked by renovations and the little country's 600,000-odd inhabitants are already in a holiday mood. 

Many don't even pay attention to the smiling faces on the EU election posters.

Still, it's important to vote, according to most people BTA talked to. 

"More and more laws are being introduced at European level and then the consequences are also for your country, so I think it's important," Luxembourg citizen Nicola said.

Similar is the opinion of Vyara Timcheva, a translator in the European Parliament in Luxembourg. 

"I think it is very important (to vote), especially this year, because whoever does not vote, someone else will vote in their place. That is to say, if you want to have any influence, it is good to vote," she told BTA.

According to opinion polls taken shortly before the start of the campaign, poverty and social exclusion are the main problems that the new European Parliament must solve. 

"Growing inequalities is the most important issue for me," Nicola said, adding the issues of common European defence, climate change, and the problem of migration to the list. 

Although the presence of migrants is palpable in some parts of Luxembourg, the local Refugee Council noted at the beginning of June that political parties have shown little interest in policies related to migration.

The political platforms of the parties in Luxembourg largely overlap, Prof. Anna-Lena Hogenauer told BTA. 

Voting in Luxembourg is compulsory for people aged between 18 and 75. More than 30,000 non- Luxembourgers have also registered to vote here this year. Among them are 60 Bulgarians. Although this is a record number, they still represent only 15% of the more than 200,000 European citizens living in Luxembourg who are entitled to vote.

For one of them, Vyara Timcheva, born in a small town in north-western Bulgaria, Europe is something important. 

"I remember the time when we could not travel freely… Then the Iron Curtain came down and we were able to join the European family. And I am very happy about that. I know there are other opinions on this, but freedom of movement is precious to me," she said.