Gábor Lelkes: The European Parliamentary Elections in Slovakia in 2004
Between 10th – 13th June, 2004 it was the sixth decision made on the composition of the European Parliament (hereinafter referred to as EP), that is the only institution of the European Union of which composition is directly elected by the union’s citizens. At this occasion in May in the European Union that has grown to 25 members, an open opportunity born to almost 338 million electing citizens to decide with their votes that during the following 4 years which representative of political parties will represent their country in the institution that has its seat in Brussels. The EP election in 2004 in Slovakia and in the 9 new European Union member states is of historical character, since in these states the elections were organised for the first time.
The atmosphere before the EP elections in Slovakia was characterised by a general indifference, comparable with the trend in the whole EU, although the election tiredness of Slovak electing citizens was even strengthened by the multiple presidential elections directly before the EP elections. At the European Parliamentary elections held for the first time in Slovakia 17 Slovak political parties were present that had 188 candidates. The Slovak political parties that entered to the EP considered their election results as success and did not pay too much attention to the fact that more than 80% of voters indicated with their absence at the elections that they grew sick of the representatives of the domestic political life. At the EP elections in Slovakia the participation was very low, 19,96% of electing citizens voted, compared to the 45,7%-os average in the Union that is also a negative record in the history of the EU. According to political analysts both the winning and the loosing parties of the EP elections should fast interpret the warning of electing citizens – that stand almost on the edge of apathy – that every fifth Slovak family lives from income at the brim of poverty and these are the social problems where the parties should orient instead of their internal and external fighting.