European Union flag (Photo credit: YanniKouts)
Trying to digest what has happened with regard to the European Election results has been a bit disconcerting. The UK media have, as usual, misreported and misinterpreted the results. There has been confusion between “winning” the election and being the largest party in one country. It is normal for European Union (EU) wide elections to be viewed through the prism of national politics and interest but this appears to have been carried to an absurd length. The facts are clear.
The European elections have been decisively won by parties who support the present course of European politics. Parties supporting deeper integration won over 70% of the vote. Including parties in favour of remaining in the EU, but with some amendments, this figure rises to 82%.
This is beyond dispute and quite rightly will encourage those parties to seek further ways of bringing closer union to the EU. UKIP’s policy of wishing to end the EU has been decisively rejected and unless the traditions of democracy have been turned on their head will be, quite rightly, ignored.
The same is true in the United Kingdom. The lynchpin of UKIP’s policy and indeed, its reason for existing, is to cause the UK to leave the EU and/or to dissolve the EU. This aim has been overwhelmingly rejected by a large majority of UK voters.
It would be wise of the UK media to reappraise its reporting on Europe. Based on these results the headlines and general reporting are out of step with both the views of the UK public and the political reality in the European Union.
