Far-right politician Geert Wilders of the anti-immigration Dutch Freedom Party casts his vote during the European Parliament elections on Thursday. Photo: Reuters

Voting in elections for the European Parliament has been taking place since Thursday in EU member states. The UK and the Netherlands voted on Thursday, Ireland voted on Friday, the Czech Republic voted on Thursday and Friday, Malta, Latvia and Slovakia voted yesterday and the rest of the EU vote today.

These are the first elections on a European level since the eurozone crisis erupted a few years ago, a crisis which brought a number of economies to the brink of collapse.

Stringent austerity measures introduced in a number of eurozone countries as a result, as well as popular concerns over immigration – two issues which many voters blame Brussels for – are expected to lead to a number of upset results in some countries, most notably electoral gains by certain far right and eurosceptic parties, and perhaps even some far-left parties.

Opinion polls before the elections predicted that the National Front in France, UKIP in the UK, the Freedom Party in the Netherlands and the Austrian Freedom Party – the most prominent anti-EU parties in Europe – would gain seats in the European Parliament.

The Dutch media, however, has reported a surprise loss for Geert Wilders’ Freedom Party, and gains for the pro-EU centre-right and centre-left parties, citing exit polls released on Thursday evening. According to these exit polls Wilders, who was predicted to win up to 23 per cent of the vote, won only 12.2 per cent, down from 17 per cent in 2009.

It will be interesting to see whether other right-wing or eurosceptic parties which are predicted to increase their share of the vote, such as those in Greece, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Hungary, Finland and Belgium, will also be in for a disappointment.

One party which will almost certainly increase its share of the vote in the European elections is UKIP in the UK, which made substantial gains in the country’s local council elections on Thursday, and which wants to take Britain out of the EU. When the UK results are out, the Conservatives, Labour and Liberal Democrats will really have to analyse why UKIP is so appealing to voters.

Britain has a very strong case for staying in the EU, but the established parties have failed to properly explain this to the electorate. A UK exit from the EU would be very bad news for Britain and for Europe; Malta, furthermore, would lose a very strong ally in Brussels.

A low turnout in these elections is expected to aid right-wing and fringe parties, as those staying at home would traditionally be those who support the mainstream parties. Indeed, the average turnout at European elections has dwindled from 63 per cent in 1979 to just 43 per cent in 2009, a sign that many EU voters feel detached from this important institution. The European Parliament has failed, over the years, to persuade voters to take it seriously. Most people, in fact, vote on domestic issues, not European ones, in these elections.

Should the average voter turnout in these European elections continue to decline, and should populist parties make considerable gains, the EU as a whole would need to conduct some serious soul searching. Why do so many voters feel detached from European institutions? Why do so many Europeans fail to understand the importance of the European Parliament? Furthermore, why do so many European voters blame Brussels for their countries’ problems?

For a start, national politicians in the EU member states would also need to stop the habit of blaming Brussels when something goes wrong and taking the credit for any good news. This undoubtedly creates a hostile atmosphere towards the EU and gives the impression that ‘Brussels’ is the cause of all Europe’s problems.

The European Parliament does have a number of important functions, such as sharing legislative power with the European Council, sharing the approval of the EU’s budget with the Council, scrutinising the EU’s institutions, particularly the European Commission, and giving its approval for the appointment of European Commissioners.

Politicians in the EU member states should stop the habit of blaming Brussels when something goes wrong

However, it cannot propose any legislation, but can only alter or block proposals originating from the Commission. It is perhaps for this reason that a lot of voters choose not to participate in elections for the European Parliament. Has the time come for the European Parliament to be given the power to propose legislation?

I would tread very carefully here, as such a move would really be a step towards federalism and against the concept of Europe as a union of sovereign states; it would also not be in Malta’s interest. However, a rethink of the functions of the European Parliament would certainly be in order.

Irrespective of the composition of new European Parliament, it will have to deal with a number of important issues over the next five years such as tighter financial sector regulations, how to make the eurozone more sustainable, climate change and the environment, Europe’s competitiveness, consumer protection and the trade and investment agreement with the US.

It is a pity that most of these themes were not discussed in earnest throughout the electoral campaigns in the various member states.

Once again, it is the duty of politicians to raise such issues in their respective campaigns, so that voters will at least know what is at stake in these elections.