The European Parliament said on April 29 that it had the second phase of its communication campaign, highlighting the importance of voting and safeguarding democracy.

Between June 6 and 9 2024, more than 370 million people across 27 EU member states are called to vote in the European elections.

To further inform EU citizens and encourage them to vote, the European Parliament is embarking on the second phase of its institutional communication strategy.

With “Use Your Vote. Or others will decide for you” as its tagline, this second phase highlights the importance of democracy. It encompasses a multifaceted approach, including media events, digital outreach, public and private partners’ involvement, community engagement initiatives and educational programmes tailored to resonate with citizens across the EU.

Among the outreach efforts used, the four-minute film “Use your vote” features testimonies of senior citizens from different EU countries passing on their stories about democracy to the next generations and underlining that this democratic right cannot be taken for granted.

“European Union democracy is more important today than ever. Everyone’s vote matters. It will decide the direction our Union will take for the five coming years. It will decide what Europe we want to live in,” European Parliament President Roberta Metsola said. “In order not to let someone else choose for us, we should vote on 6-9 June 2024”.

The statement said that as the EU faces evolving challenges and with the June 2024 elections approaching, the European Parliament reaffirms its commitment to fostering dialogue, unity and active citizenship.

“Use your vote. Or others will decide for you” serves as a powerful reminder that democracy is a precious legacy that must be nurtured and defended by all, the statement said.

“Democracy is a collective responsibility – not towards a political idea or a specific cause – but towards each other,” the European Parliament’s spokesperson Jaume Duch said. “We are more united in European democracy than we might think: across nations, political sensitivities and across generations. In our polarised times, this is easy to forget and our campaign is made to remind us of what unites us.”

More specifically, the campaign’s central video further explores the chequered history of many European countries that have experienced armed conflict or limits on individual freedom and the precarious nature of democracy if not actively sustained.

In 2019, more than half of eligible voters in Europe turned out to vote (50.6 per cent). The EP’s Spring 2024 Eurobarometer survey with more than 26 000 respondents in all EU member states has shown that 60 per cent of Europeans are interested in the June 2024 elections, 11 points more than in spring 2019 (three months prior to the previous European elections). Additionally, 71 per cent say that it is likely that they will vote, again 10 more points than last time.

Findings also suggest that four in five Europeans agree that “Voting is important to keep democracy strong” (81 per cent) and that “Voting is important to ensure a better future for the next generations” (84 per cent). More than eight in 10 Europeans (81 per cent) believe voting is even more important given the current geopolitical situation.

The film ‘Use your vote’ and nine other versions for TV, cinema, radio and social media will be released in all member states from April 29.

(Photo of the European Parliament building in Strasbourg: Clive Leviev-Sawyer)

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