Mamoulakis: In the European elections in June, the progressive world should not choose to abstain!

Article by Haris Mamoulakis*

Every five years, the citizens of the European Union elect members of the European Parliament. Thus, on June 9, 2024, those who have reached the age of 17 will be able to exercise their right to vote. 21 MEPs are elected from Greece, with a system of proportional representation.

In practice, the number of elected members of each party will depend on the percentage of votes it received, which should be at least 3%. Accordingly, Germany elects 96 and France 81 MEPs as the principle of decreasing proportionality applies, meaning that a larger country represents more people compared to a smaller one.

It is significant that while the elections are contested by national political parties, a total of 705 MEPs once elected, choose to become members of transnational political groups based on their ideological orientation. The trend that appears to be forming for this ideological direction leaves no room for abstinence from the June elections.

The European elections must stop being characterized as a “soft vote” process, it is everyone’s responsibility to educate people not to be soft in their claims. There are many reasons why the European elections should not be treated lightly. MEPs, together with the representatives of the governments of the EU countries, will formulate and decide on new laws that will directly affect our lives.

Issues such as: economy, fighting poverty, dealing with natural disasters, climate change, security, human rights, freedom, immigration, equality, gender violence, rule of law, small and medium enterprises and so on. are on their agenda. Let us consider that the majority of the rules applied at the national level constitute an integration of European directives and regulations. So the composition of the European Parliament concerns us directly. Because the decisions that will be made there, and there must be identified with here, will promote specific policies.

It is our vote that will determine whether these policies will be progressive, left-wing, social-minded, promoting democracy or whether they will be authoritarian, conservative, in favor of the powerful, the interests of big business, capital.

It is of special importance to understand the aforementioned as the investigations are ringing the bell of strengthening the far right in the next European Parliament. A rise which in historical, social and psychological terms is explained, but which should be prevented as such a final outcome would be highly detrimental in principle to democracy. It is our responsibility to “speak” through our vote. Abstention in these European elections is not an option.

All left-leaning, progressive, democratic-minded people need to be heard. Our country has no room to be deprived of the necessary support from the EU in critical areas such as social policy, security, foreign policy and the environment. There is no scope for further regression in terms of rule of law, safeguarding of personal data, citizens’ rights, opportunities.

SYRIZA-PS through its operation proves that democracy is not for it a theoretical framework but the compass to hear the voice of the citizens. Thus, the selection of the candidates who will claim a seat in the European Parliament was done with an unprecedented democratic process for Greek standards.

It is these SYRIZA-PS candidates who can and will direct their efforts so that Greece regains its position in the European ranking of critical indicators and who will claim for the many so that the right to dream ceases to be the privilege of the few!

*Haris Mamoulakis is Head of Infrastructure & Transport K.O. SYRIZA-PS, Member of Parliament of Heraklion – Civil Engineer BEng MSc

First publication, To Paron, 21/4/24

zarpanews.gr