The island where everyone votes - 06/06/2009
Europe's utopia: a democracy of one
By Fiachra Gibbons/RFI
Voters in Cyprus, Latvia, Malta and Slovakia are going to polls today with first indications pointing to a much lower turnout than the 70 per cent recorded yesterday in parts of Ireland. It reached 100 per cent on the island of Inishfree off the wild northwest coast of County Donegal, where the ballot box was delivered by wheelbarrow with a police escort (pictured). Inishfree does, however, only have one permanent resident, Margaret Duffy.
Irish voters, fired up by the prospect of delivering a vote of protest at their government's handling of the economic crisis, seem also to have been determined to correct the impression that their country is anti-Europe after rejecting the Lisbon Treaty last year. Then, less than half turned out to vote in the only referendum held on the controversial reform of the EU. The Irish No put a brake on further institutional reform and caused havoc in Brussels.
Turnout was highest in the northwest of the country, where the millionaire Declan Ganley, one of the leaders of the No campaign was standing under the banner of his new eurosceptic party, Libertas. Despite his free-spending campaign, early indications are that he will have real difficulty getting a seat, and nationwide Libertas has barely got off the blocks with a projected four per cent.
While voters flocked to the polls in the west and midlands, voting was slower in the capital Dublin, where rates were as low as 50 per cent in some areas. The governing Fianna Fail party is expected to suffer the worst defeat in its 70-year history, having taken the blame for failing banks, corruption and mismanagement which many Irish blame for the fall of its once booming Celtic Tiger economy and aggravating the crisis there. Turnout in Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom, was much lower at 42 per cent, with the Sinn Fein, the political wing of the Irish Republican Army, which waged a 32-year war against British rule, topping the poll for first time.
Latvia's centre-right coalition government led by Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis' is also expected to suffer a backlash at the polls today. The Baltic country is among the worst affected by the meltdown. Even though it only came to power in March after the previous government collapsed, is likely to feel the fury of voters over a belt-tightening drive that has seen deep cuts in public spending.
Cyprus's communist government led by Dimitris Christofias also faces its first electoral test since taking power last year. With no deal in sight on ending the island's 35-year-old partition following the Turkish invasion of 1974, no voting will be held in the breakaway Turkish Cypriot north.
Slovakia appears to be on course to break its own record of the lowest participation ever at a European election, with the last opinion poll before the vote putting expected turnout at 14 per cent. Less than 17 per cent of Slovaks took part in 2004. Despite this, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico's ruling party is the favourite to win.
Meanwhile, The Netherlands faces censure for breaking EU rules by releasing the results of its vote after Thursday's elections rather than waiting for the the rest of Europe to vote on so-called Super Sunday, when the remaining 19 states head to the polls.
The European Commission, whose Portuguese chief Jose Manuel Barroso is likely to be confirmed as president for another five years by the new parliament meets, is considering possible action against The Netherlands. Only 36.5 per cent of Dutch voters turned out, down from 39.2 per cent in 2004. But turnout is unlikely to be a concern in Malta, where voters are known to be enthusiastic, with upwards of 80 per cent likely to make their choice. Last week the island's Sunday Times newspaper published a survey giving the opposition Labour Party a 10 per cent lead over the governing Nationalists. The Nationalists could see part of their vote moving to the right-wing Azzjoni Nazzjonali due to concerns about the influx of immigrants to the islands arriving from Africa.
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Voting is in full swing in Europe, with all eyes focused on Ireland and the Czech Republic as they head to the polls...
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Your comment that "Inishfree does, however, only have one permanent resident, Margaret Duffy." is incorrect. The only resident is Barry Edgar Pilcher.