Decisions in the European Parliament have consequences for the daily lives of Europeans. For many Germans, however, Brussels is still a long way off. “Politics and popcorn” is the slogan on the election campaign poster in which the Social Democratic party invited residents of Eberswalde, a Brandenburg town of 41,000, to a cinema. in the middle of last May. Katarina Barley was going to speak. He is vice president of the European Parliament and once again head of the German SPD in June’s European elections. Marie Glishman, also a candidate for the European Parliament, is with her. The two politicians want to talk to citizens about EU politics and emphasize how important the European elections are for the rural population. The large movie theater Movie Magic was rented for their talk and bags of popcorn were ordered.

Politicians who polarize are more attractive

“I’m really curious to see how many people in a small town of 40,000 people are willing to come to such an event,” says Kurt Fischer, from the Social Democratic Party, a candidate for Thuringia’s local parliament. “That’s a bit of a challenge, I think Europe as a subject is too far away for a lot of people.”

And it was verified. The front seats were left empty, only 20 people showed up. The European elections are not national elections, which are more attractive. But polarizing politicians are also “attractive”. At the beginning of May, Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, lead candidate for the Liberal party, spoke in Eberswalde. Her speech was attended by 150 citizens. “And 150 counter-protesters,” says Fischer. Strack-Zimmerman calls for more arms supplies to Ukraine. One in two citizens in eastern Germany opposes it.

Strengthening democracy is a topic that Katarina Barley attaches great importance to. But the citizens’ questions show that they are more concerned about other things. Such as public transport or the protection of wolves, which in the state of Brandenburg have multiplied. Fellow candidate Marie Glissmann refers to the farmers’ concerns, but the empty chairs testify to the little enthusiasm of the people of Eberswalde. “European politics is a long way off,” says Kurt Fischer. Voter turnout in European elections in Germany has always been lower than in national elections. Not one in two went to the polls. In 2019 alone, voter turnout rose again to just over 60%. In a recent poll by the polling institute infratest-dimap for ARD Deutschlandtrend, 48% of Germans said they had little or no interest in the June 9 European elections.

Enthusiasm for Europe has dissipated

In fact, the three parties of the government coalition under Olaf Solz have comparatively low percentages and it seems that the large percentage of dissatisfaction with his actions so far will be reflected in the European elections. “Of course, this is also a national election,” Markus Zender, the prime minister of Bavaria, admitted at the beginning of May. “Because polls are not only characterized by European political ideas, but also by the climate in Germany or some other countries. That’s why we have to think about these two together.” What Zender points out is that for many citizens in Germany the benefits of the EU have become so self-evident that hardly anyone thinks about them. Apart from economic prosperity, open borders and freedom of travel, the EU has above all brought peace to Germany. “We’re only now realizing how big an advantage that is when we see what’s happening outside the EU,” he says. Brandenburg and some other East German states are holding local elections in September with the far-right Alternative for Germany party coming in first in the polls.

At its conference, the Christian Democratic party decided to toughen its stance on asylum with the aim of drawing votes from the AfD pool. In the pre-election campaign for the European elections, the AfD descends with the slogan “our country first” and propagandizes that the EU should be reduced to a community of economy and interests. Bjorn Hecke, head of K.O. of the party in the local parliament of Thuringia, even calls for the end of the EU. Despite the differences between the parties, whether European or local, there is one point that is common. Never in the past has the climate been so aggressive against politicians as it is now.

Editor: Irini Anastasopoulou