There have never been so few voters at the polls Italy since voting for the European Union parliament, but also in republican history. The turnout figure is unequivocal: regardless of who won or lost this election, with 49.69% of voters the real protagonist was abstentionism.
This is a negative record on an absolute level: the 2024 European elections were the first elections in the history of the Republic in which less than one in two voters turned out. A fact that is also striking in light of the fact that many party leaders took to the field directly for this vote, and apparently did not convince voters to go to the polls.
The 49.69% turnout figure is lower than the 63.9% of the elections held in September 2022, but also compared to the 56.09% of the 2019 European elections. What is also surprising is the fact that this time, voting in 3,700 municipalities for the Administrative and for the Piedmont Region, participation in the vote for the European Parliament should have benefited from a greater influx.
In reality, the increase in abstentionism is a phenomenon that has been going on for some time and does not seem to be stopping.
It is no coincidence that the highest turnout was recorded in the North Western Italy constituency, which included Piedmont, with 55.09%, followed by North Eastern Italy, with 53.96%, Central Italy with 52 ,54%. However, Southern Italy, with 43.72% and Insular Italy, with 37.77% were well below 50%.
The turnout for the administrative: 62.68%, even if the previous electoral round for the municipalities had brought 67.75% of those entitled to vote to the polls.
However, each European country has its own story. In Germany There was a record turnout since reunification, with 64.8% of eligible voters going to the polls.
In France the turnout was 51.5%just above the 50.12% of 2019.
As in Italy also in Spain less than one in two voters voted: 49.21%which although not the lowest figure ever, is much lower than the 60% of the previous European ones.
What strikes is the Croatiawhere only one voter in five voted and the turnout was 21.34%.
Among the countries, it is worth mentioning the large participation in the vote in Hungarywith the 58.54%the negative data of Greecethe lowest ever, with the 41.39% he was born in Portugalwith the 37.52%low but still rising compared to the previous 30.75%.
