Christina Ayiotis, Esq., CRM, CIPP/E’s Post

On the first day of the far-right Alternative for Germany’s annual party congress, leaders reported a surge in membership despite a string of scandals lately and vowed to build on the party's success in the European Parliament election. Unlike in previous years, there were few spats and the co-leaders were re-elected with 80% or more of the vote as the party appeared to close ranks ahead of three state elections in formerly communist-run eastern Germany which it is expected to win. The party congress will run until Sunday, the same day neighbouring France holds the first round of a snap parliamentary election that could bring the far right to power. An AfD government does not seem as imminent in Germany given other parties refuse to form a coalition with it. But the AfD’s likely electoral successes will make it even harder for other parties to govern, further damaging trust in democracy in a region where it is already weak. https://lnkd.in/e8efuWeZ

Curious to discover which individual Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), national parties, and supranational European parties align most with your political views in the coming EP elections?    Then check out EuroMPmatch ➡ https://bit.ly/4d55t2o   EuroMPmatch is a Voting Advice Application (VAA) that uses the voting records of the last European legislature (2019-2024). Users are prompted to express their preferences on 20 key votes conducted in the European Parliament during this period. Based on these inputs, the application matches individuals with MEPs, European party groups, and national parties that closely align with their views. European University Institute

The Australian Electoral Commission is an independent body charged with ensuring our federal elections and referenda are conducted freely and fairly. And they have done a very good and transparent job of doing so. However, requiring AEC employees to interpret voters’ intentions is fraught with danger and could significantly undermine their independence in both fact and appearance - to the sad detriment of the trust placed in them by the voting public. Unfortunately, instead of providing tick boxes as is done in all other elections, the government’s referendum enabling legislation seems to require voters to write “yes” or “no” to register their vote. This places the AEC in an invidious position, as they effectively have to manage this poorly framed voting mechanism. By and large, Australians accept the umpire’s call at elections. But we hate with a passion dodgy calls that don’t stand up to scrutiny. Don’t believe me? It is interesting how many people still burn at the Dismissal on 11/11/1975… If this referendum has any hope of achieving its much vaunted aim of creating unity, it MUST NOT have even a whiff of political meddling in the administration of the outcome.

Marine Le Pen’s anti-immigrant National Rally led a first round of voting on Sunday in exceptionally high-stakes elections that could put France’s government in the hands of a far-right party for the first time since World War II. Macron’s ruling coalition was beaten into third place by a fledgling alliance of the left as the incumbent’s gamble with a snap election backfired spectacularly. National Rally and its allies on the right took 33.2% of the first-round vote, ahead of the left-wing New Popular Front on 28.1%, according to projections by pollsters Ipsos-Talan. Macron’s Ensemble alliance trailed in third place with 21%, followed by the conservative Les Républicains and their partners on 10%.  The final result will depend on days of frantic horse-trading as parties work to make alliances in some constituencies or pull out of others.

Far-right National Rally leads first voting round in France — Interior Ministry It is reported that voter turnout hit 66.71%, or the highest since 2002 PARIS, July 1/ France’s far-right National Rally and allied right-wing parties won the first round of a snap legislative election with 33.15% of the vote, the final results released by the republic’s Interior Ministry show. The New Popular Front, a left-wing alliance of parties, came in second with 27.99%, while the president’s centrist coalition scored 20.04%. Voter turnout hit 66.71%, or the highest since 2002, Le Parisien reported. According to France Bleu radio, the results may change slightly after a vote recount in some districts. On June 9, French President Emmanuel Macron announced his decision to dissolve the National Assembly and organize early parliamentary elections following the crushing defeat of the presidential Renaissance Party at the elections to the European Parliament. The last time the lower house was dissolved was in 1997 by President Jacques Chirac. #business #finance #financialservices

Media literacy is crucial for discerning the reliability and intent behind media messages about politics. Individuals are forced to critically evaluate the vast amount of news encountered daily, knowing how to resist misinformation is essential

Ignore the Lib Dems at your peril! Insight from our Lib Dem experts about how best to engage with the potential kingmakers.

Today is General Election Day in the UK, and like many others, I’m finding it difficult to decide who to vote for. Each party crafts its manifesto to appeal to a wide audience, which means there are policies I both agree with and disagree with.   Making this decision involves balancing my personal values with the broader needs of society and the future of our country. Every party offers a mix of proposals that impact us all in different ways. As I ponder my choice, I’m reminded of the importance of participating in our government process.   Despite the challenge, voting is a crucial way to influence the direction of our society. Let’s all take a moment to consider what aligns most with our principles and the future we want to see. Your vote is important. Make it count today.   #GeneralElection #UKPolitics #YourVoteMatters

Elections time. As always (some) politicians are not honest with voters. 😅 I've been in EU Public Affairs almost my entire life. The 2024 European elections will be the 4th elections that I will witness, analyze and comment on since my arrival in Brussels as a young "Legal & Advocacy Officer" in 2007. Once again, I can only but note that Politicians, or at least many of them, are not being totally honest with potential voters when campaigning. Every day, in the media, in all the countries I follow (especially France), I can hear current/past Members of the European Parliament shaming the European Commission for having proposed this or that text or adverse parties for having voted this or that Directive that is seen as creating more red tape, adding administrative burden, and most of the time making no sense for ordinary citizens (remember #Brexit ?). I watched yesterday an interview of a French Center Right MEP of the EPP Group about the current farmers/government tensions in France. This MEP was naming and shaming French MEPs of President Macron's group members of Renew, for having voted positively on 2 (now problematic) Directives/Resolutions: "They did vote in favour of these texts, citizens should know that THEY are the cause of their problems!"... Few problems here: On these files the EPP voted exactly like Renew #ouch. This MEP did vote, as she was asked to under group request, in favour of these texts. #ouch. So, you want to really know for whom you will vote? just check https://howtheyvote.eu/ to find out how your MEP has voted on key files. PS: Before any comment: this works for all the political parties out there by the way...

🔔Election Day is on 29 May! Voters will receive three ballots: National, Regional, and Provincial. If you're voting outside your registered province, you'll only vote on the National Ballot. Remember to vote where you are registered, one ballot, one✖️it's your democracy, own it! Visit bit.ly/3Rld2ZF to learn more and #GetReadyToVote. #SAelections24