European Union Paraphrase: The alliance of 27 European countries known as the European Union. Headline: The European Union is a coalition of 27 European countries. - Upcoming Votes: Mecklenburg-Vorpommern's European and Regional Elections
In the German region of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, around 1.36 million individuals with voting rights were invited to cast their ballots on Sunday at 8:00 am for both European and state elections. Polls will remain open until 6:00 pm. For the first time ever, those aged 16 and 17 are eligible to vote in the European elections. The voter age threshold in the state's local elections was previously lowered to 16 in 1999.
The state electoral commissioner reported that there are approximately 2,450 candidates vying for the 520 seats in the six county councils and the two municipal councils in Rostock and Schwerin. The Ministry of the Interior estimates there are about 10,000 communal political positions and obligations up for grabs around the state, including 658 volunteer mayoral positions. The ultimate election results will stem from outcomes in the six counties and the two city-states.
In 2019, the CDU was crowned the dominant political power with 25.4% of the total vote, trailing the Left with 16.3%, then the SPD at 15.4%, the AfD at 14.0%, and the Greens at 10.3%. The FDP secured 4.3% of the overall votes, with local groups and independent candidates clocking in at 10.4%. Just one Green party member from Rostock, Niklas Nienaß, attained a seat in the European Parliament during the previous European elections.
