EUROPEAN UNION ELECTIONS JUNE 2009: Europeans here ye! Which way will you vote this coming EU election in June 2009?

[Каие]

If you are NOT European, could you please not vote in this poll, I;m trying to accurately as possible see the voting intentions of European members here.

We all know the EU elections are this June [2009] and it's a hot topic in all our countries especially with the Lisbon Treaty aka 'EU Constitution'.

This is a plain and simple ''who will you vote for'' poll, except with the added problem of the fact the EU is made up of 27 countries and literally hundreds of parties running. So what I'm going to do is put up the EU groups/coalitions in the poll, who are basically a coalition of parties with similar ideologies I.e. The group of European socialists.

• Conservatives
  - EPP-ED [Conservative Party]
  ----> 284 seats
  
  
• Socailists/Social Democrats
  - PES [Labour Party]
  -----> 215 seats
  
  
• Liberals/Centrists
  - ALDE [Liberal Democrats]
  ------> 103 seats
  
  
• Nationalist Conservatives
  - UEN
  ------> 44 seats
  
  
• Greens/Regionalists
  - G-EFA [Green Party/SNP/Plaid Cymru]
  -----> 42 seats
  
  
• Communists/Far Left
  - GUE-NGL [British Communist Party/Left List/Respect]
  -----> 41 seats
  
  
• Euro-sceptics
  - ID [UKIP]
  -----> 24 seats
  
  
• Far Right/Fascist [BNP]
  -----> 0 seats

I personally will campaign on behalf of the Conservative Party, but will probably most likely vote for UKIP.

After observing them in the EU parliament, along with the rest of the ID group [Euro-sceptics], they seem to be the only group holding the Commission [the unelected executive body of the EU] to account, and providing the most opposition and scrutiny. I think that is vital, nay integral to any kind of democratic system to have strict scrutiny of the people in power, be they elected or not.

In addition after observing the debacle that was the EU reaction to the Irish 'No' vote, which was basically the bureaucrats and pro-treaty parties literally voting [contrary to EU protocols] to ignore Ireland completely, I no longer hold much respect for the EU or the pro-EU crowd.

They need a good and proper shock, and some serious hard opposition.... which only UKIP [and it seems the UK, Denmark and Scandinavia] can provide.

[Admiral Piett]

UKIP FTW!!

[Sphere]

I think the significant expansion of co-decision to the parliament proposed in the Lisbon Treaty would have been a greater shock to the system than any seats gained by the Euroskeptic parties.

Until Lisbon type reforms take place, the EU parliament is never going to be a political force, because it is completely left out of the legislative process in many policy areas.

[Каие]

Holy crap! Have we in Europe completely given up democracy?

Edit: Trento, Are you purposefully complicating matters?

[Blau&Gruen]

I wonder why you put the Greens and Plaid Cymru together. Are they faction in the parliament or do they have simply a list together in the UK? I just ask out of interest.

I am not a European and can't vote therefore.

[Каие]

I wonder why you put the Greens and Plaid Cymru together. Are they faction in the parliament or do they have simply a list together in the UK?
Just out of interest.

I am not a European and can't vote therefore.

Not in the UK no, but in the EU yeah. The Greens team up with the 'Regionalists' in an EU faction. Plaid Cymru, Welsh Nationalist, and SNP, Scottish nationalists, count as 'Regionalists'.

[Blau&Gruen]

Ok, they have some kind of parliamentary group.

Thx

[Carach]

id probably go for ukip too.. for similar reasons u described.

[pileyourbodies]

If I still lived in germany I go conservative....although I'm a bit worried.

[Каие]

Unorthodox if you ask me, the SNP should just join the Socialist group, and Plaid Cymru the Liberal one. Alas, their never ending quest to be 'different' is involved here.

[Atterdag]

Either the PES or ALDE, though it'll prolly wind up to be the Social-Democrats getting my vote.

[Principe Alessandro]

liberal-democrats

[Norge]

I have no idea what these parties are or what they stand for, but given the short description I would probably vote UEN

[Heinz Guderian]

Greens. Always Greens. All round nice guyz.

[The Dude]

Libdems, I suppose.

I don't much care for EU elections yet, with the EU still being in its infancy. Hopefully in 50 years or so we'll be much more united. Then I can take a good look at who to vote for.

[Thorn777]

Green, we need more green and a bit of red.

@Romekb8

I dont get the UKIP argument, there is friction here and there between other party's, so why should a party sit there who has no other purpose then to discredit the entire thing. I don't see a blocking-party in anyway necessary, they will just further destroy the UK reputation within the EU. Also with those silly flags.

[Admiral Piett]

Green, we need more green and a bit of red.

@Romekb8

I dont get the UKIP argument, there is friction here and there between other party's, so why should a party sit there who has no other purpose then to discredit the entire thing. I don't see a blocking-party in anyway necessary, they will just further destroy the UK reputation within the EU. Also with those silly flags.

Well, this is only the EU elections, not the national elections for Britain. I think it would an interesting way to give the EU the finger. I'd be happy to see Britain become more independent again.

Although, I were a British citizen voting in the national elections, I'd definitely vote Liberal Democrat. I wish we had a similar party in the US. No, the Democratic Party is nothing like the Liberal Dems in Britain, fellow Americans.

[Каие]

I have no idea what these parties are or what they stand for, but given the short description I would probably vote UEN

Those are factions, basically coalitions, of similar minded parties from across Europe. E.g. The British Socialist Party, Labour, would be in with the French Socialist Party, to be little socialists together in the EU house. Basically because the British Conservative Party cannot on it's own carry the conservative agenda with a tiny minority of seats but instead it teams with all the other conservative parties, and they therefore have a bigger impact.

Greens. Always Greens. All round nice guyz.

My teachers a Green councillor. And he is actually the candidate in Yorkshire constituency this June. But the Greens ain't gonna win anything in Yorkshire.

@Romekb8

I dont get the UKIP argument, there is friction here and there between other party's, so why should a party sit there who has no other purpose then to discredit the entire thing. I don't see a blocking-party in anyway necessary, they will just further destroy the UK reputation within the EU. Also with those silly flags.

They don't have the power to block, they have very few seats. But what they can do is scrutinise the EU and hold it to account. In every democracy there is an opposition, in the UK and most European countries, we have an official opposition that is important in balancing the power.

It's a shame we even need UKIP, if only the other parties in the EU parliament weren't tripping over themselves to kiss the arse of the Commission, we wouldn't need the Euro-sceptics. If only MEP's did their jobs....

Unfortunately Britain can never again become truely independent. we've lost self sufficiency, our economy isnt all that great (sure u can say we're in the top 10 but thats artificial and doesnt really take into account realities involved tbh)

The EU is the best way for us to project influence and defend interests for the future. Unless we want to remain some sort of vassal state to the US?

on the other hand though i see a hegemon as necessary to stability. and the EU reminds me of ancient greece. lots of factions with no visible power over the other, thus little gets done. little actual real power to exert externally. At least the US overlordship grants some sort of progression heh. and we get some cool gadgets from the 'special relationship' - even if that special relationship is incredibly one sided.

But you're voting UKIP?

I for one take a look at the example of Norway and Switzerland, and see that they are doing brilliantly without the EU, and we would greatly benefit from independence on the economic side. The only advantage the EU gives us, is guaranteed free trade, but this can be negotiated from the outside, as Switzerland and Norway did.

[Blau&Gruen]

Be aware Kb8, that Switzerland ratifies silently all regulations having passed the European Parliament and transforms more or less automatically european law into swiss law. Switzerland can for constitutional reasons not take part in the decision process in the EU legislative institutions. The United Kingdom has the opportunity as a member to acitvely participate. Britain leaving the Union would through Europe back in an age of changing coalitions.

[Thorn777]

@ЯoMe kb8

They don't have the power to block, they have very few seats. But what they can do is scrutinise the EU and hold it to account

Sure but they would like to, other than that they just come collectively marching in whenever the camera is on on some important issue and start getting fishy about the work of others. Thats why I see them as a blocking-party, being that it is their natural purpose.

In every democracy there is an opposition, in the UK and most European countries, we have an official opposition that is important in balancing the power.

Well, yeah, but how you work your opposition can diverse greatly. If a party like UKIP just is against 99% of things the EU comes up with, and just shouts from the comfortable spots in the opposition, you are not balancing or working along at anything. Its like having a anti-democrat-anti-constitution party sitting in your national parliament.

It's a shame we even need UKIP, if only the other parties in the EU parliament weren't tripping over themselves to kiss the arse of the Commission, we wouldn't need the Euro-septics. If only MEP's did their jobs....

I'm sure these UKIP guys get enough votes already, and that the vieuw of no friction is exaggerated, but offcourse, if you want the UK out, just vote the guys, thats all I have to say.