Upcoming European voting. - One Cross Suffices: Important Information About the EU's Cast Vote
Germany's upcoming European elections in 2024 will introduce some exciting changes, compared to the previous ones. For the first time, 16- and 17-year-olds will be allowed to vote, joining the ranks of the nation's electorate. Compared to the last European election, 34 parties and political associations will be running in all federal states, with the CSU running in Bavaria and the CDU in the rest of the states.
Instead of casting multiple votes, as in the federal elections, voters will only have one voice this time. They'll need to stamp their selections on a ballot paper. The arrangement of these parties and associations will differ across the country. To start, the parties will be listed according to their performance in the previous EU polls. Those who didn't participate this time will follow.
The CDU leads the ballot papers in nine states, including Baden-Württemberg, Hesse, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia. Green Party takes third place in three regions: Berlin, Hamburg, and Schleswig-Holstein. The AfD is the runner-up in two states: Brandenburg and Saxony. The SPD is the victor in Bremen and the CSU is in charge in Bavaria.
Numerous emerging parties and organizations will make their first appearance on ballots, like the BSW (Alliance for Sahra Wagenknecht), "Last Generation" (a climate organization), and DAVA (Democratic Alliance for Diversity and Renewal).
Unlike usual, smaller German parties with low votes can now win seats in the European Parliament, as there's no set percentage they must meet. However, a threshold of at least two percent is expected to be introduced by 2029. This change was passed during a Bundestag vote in June 2023, by a two-thirds majority.
While Germany allows these smaller parties to join their ranks, other EU countries set minimum participation levels. Cyprus requires a mere 1.8% %, while Greece insists on 3%. The threshold in Italy, Austria, and Sweden is 4%, and France, Poland, the Czech Republic, and Hungary set a 5% minimum. The UK's absence is noteworthy due to their Brexit transition.
The European Parliament will have more seats from this year onward - 720 seats instead of the former 705. With 96 representatives, Germany boasts the largest block.
