Slowly but surely, the smell of elections is in the air.
Even amidst their complexity, the upcoming June elections carry a particular weight and interest that, until now, has been overshadowed by the sheer volume of ballot papers being prepared by each political force for months.
The search for hundreds of candidates and the naming has dominated the interest so far.
However, it’s time to look beyond the ballot papers. We need to scrutinise the positions of those vying for our vote in the upcoming multiple elections.
It is crucial for us to finally set aside the names because in the upcoming elections, we won’t be choosing just individuals (whether known or unknown).
Before we vote, we should see what each candidate stands for, beyond their personal goal of securing a position.
For some candidates, the most important aspect of these elections might be changing their profile on social media platforms. However, this does not apply to the majority of the electorate who will turn up at the polls on 9th June.
Therefore, for us voters, what matters most is to look beyond the ballot papers and see: firstly, what a candidate advocates for and their positions, and secondly, whether what they promise can be implemented or if they are merely vague promises that start before the elections and end on election night without ever being realised.
We have two full months until the European elections during which candidates and parties will ramp up their efforts to secure as many votes as possible.
During these two months, it’s an opportunity for all of us voters to carefully examine the positions of all these candidates.
On 9th June, we are called upon to choose the six Cypriots who will represent us for the next five years in the European Parliament.
The first thing we need to pay attention to is whether the candidate believes in: a) The European Union, b) The principles and values that the EU advocates for, and c) Whether from their position they will work towards implementing EU decisions.
Because we already have parties and candidates in front of us who claim a seat in the next European Parliament without truly believing in what the EU stands for as an entity.
Other countries, sending dozens of MEPs, might have the luxury to send some representatives who do not believe in or understand the European Union.
However, Cyprus, with just a small group of 6 MEPs, does not have this luxury. It cannot be represented in an institution like the European Parliament by individuals who do not understand what the European Union is and how it functions.
Nor can it send individuals who will merely issue statements to satisfy a specific audience domestically without actually doing anything for their country.
It’s important, especially regarding the European elections, that we all bear in mind whether the person we choose believes in the EU institution.
We should also weigh the party’s positions they represent to see if they truly align with European principles and values.
Because we face parties and candidates who have never believed and still don’t believe in the institution of the European Union.
From morning till night, they oppose everything that the EU advocates for.
It’s crucial for them to first tell us how much they believe in the EU and its institutions, to present their positions so we can see if they are feasible or merely empty slogans.
In the June elections, we will vote for the members of the European Parliament and, by extension, the European political groups. We won’t be voting for national elections. Those will take place in two years, in May 2026.
