As the countdown to the EU parliament elections in June continues, the focus in many countries seems to be more on national issues rather than the EU itself. In France, the upcoming elections are being seen as a precursor to the 2027 presidential race, with some parties framing it as “mid-term elections” to express dissatisfaction with the current government.
Political analyst Éric Maurice points out that the EU elections in France are the only major election before the next presidential race, leading to a strong temptation to nationalize the ballot. This trend of nationalizing bloc-wide elections is not new, with researchers describing the EU elections as a “second-order national election” where political forces gauge their popularity at the national level.
Despite recent crises like the Covid-19 pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine putting European action in the spotlight, many voters are still more focused on national issues. A survey conducted in France found that half of the respondents prioritize national issues over European ones when determining their vote.
According to Pascal Perrineau, voters are more likely to consider national, economic, and social reasons when casting their ballot, rather than European issues. However, there are certain groups, such as white-collar workers and executives, who are more aware of the importance of Europe in their decision-making process.
Ultimately, the intertwining of national and European issues makes it challenging to separate the two, with topics like immigration, the Common Agricultural Policy, and support for Ukraine featuring in both national and EU elections. The upcoming EU elections on June 9 will provide parties with an opportunity to gauge their popularity ahead of future national elections and potentially shape the political landscape in the years to come.