European elections – end of the campaign union, Green, left
The European election campaign of the Union, the Greens and the Left will end today with closing events in Munich, Cologne and Potsdam. In Munich, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and CDU Chairman Friedrich Merz will speak to their supporters, while the Greens will conclude their campaigns in Cologne and the Left in Potsdam. The SPD will not hold its campaign closing event until Saturday in Duisburg. The FDP had already held its campaign closing event in Düsseldorf on Thursday. Election campaign completed.
The European election campaign in Germany shows that, according to current polls, the Union can expect a large lead over other parties. The Greens, on the other hand, have to fear losses compared to the 2019 election. According to the ZDF Politbarometer Extra, the Union is currently at 30 percent and could improve its 2019 result, while the Greens fall to 14 percent.
The European elections also played a role in the Bundestag, with a morning debate on current European politics. Voters are showing a strong interest in the election, although 42 percent are still unsure who to vote for. The survey results show a possible shift in party strengths. AfD and SPD are currently at 14 percent each, the FDP at 4 percent and the Left at 3 percent. The new alliance around Sahra Wagenknecht is at 7 percent.
Europe votes from Thursday to Sunday
The European elections have begun after yesterday's vote in the Netherlands. The forecast shows a neck-and-neck race between the red-green electoral alliance and the radical right-wing party of the populist Geert Wilders. In Germany, around 61 million citizens will be able to cast their votes to send 96 representatives to parliament. Unlike in federal elections, even small German parties with low election results can enter the EU parliament, as there is no set percentage hurdle.
Other countries, including Ireland, the Czech Republic, Italy, Latvia, Malta and Slovakia, will vote in the coming days. In total, around 360 million Europeans will take part in the elections to elect the 720 members of the European Parliament. Some EU countries have thresholds for entering parliament, which will not be reintroduced in Germany until 2029.
SPD sets conditions for von der Leyen’s support
The SPD has Conditions for the support of a second term for EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. The party stresses that cooperation with enemies of democracy and the rule of law would not be supported. This refers to a possible cooperation between von der Leyen and the right-wing conservative ECR group, which also includes the ultra-right Fratelli d'Italia party, of which Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is a member.
Source: nachrichten.ag
