European Parliament election, 1979

European Parliament election, 1979

The 1979 European elections were parliamentary elections held across all then-9 European Community member states. They were the first European elections to be held, allowing citizens to elect 410 MEPs to the European Parliament, and also the first international election in history.

Seats in the Parliament had been allocated to the states according to population, and in some cases were divided into constituencies, but members sat according to political groups.__TOC__

Background

The Treaty of Rome which established the Communities specified that the European Parliament must be elected by universal suffrage using a common voting system. The Council of the European Union was responsible for setting up the elections but it had procrastinated. As a stop-gap measure, members were appointed to the Parliament by the member states from their own national parliaments, as they had done since the Common Assembly.cite book| last = Hoskyns | first = Catherine | coauthors = Michael Newman | title = Democratizing the European Union: Issues for the twenty-first Century (Perspectives on Democratization | publisher = Manchester University Press | date = 2000 | isbn = 978-0719056666 ] The Parliament was unhappy with this and threatened to take the Council to the European Court of Justice. The Council eventually agreed to elections and the first European Parliament elections were held in 1979 after proposals were put forward in the mid 1970s. [http://aei.pitt.edu/1922/01/EP_election_decision.pdf Patijn Report] ] The issue of a common voting method was left undecided, and even to this day the voting methods vary from member state to member state, although all have used some form of proportional representation since 1999.

The campaigns

The campaigns varied. The former Social Democrat German Chancellor Willy Brandt took an international campaign to France, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands to boost the Socialist group. On the other hand, the former Prime Minister of France Jacques Chirac used the election to gauge his popularity against the then-President of France Valery Giscard d'Estaing, in anticipation of a presidential bid in 1981. [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,946309,00.html Electing a New Parliament] , Time Magazine 1979-06-11]

Election

In July, the 410 members were elected by universal suffrage. At the time there were no rules on the system of election to be used. The United Kingdom used a plurality voting system for multiple small constituencies in England, Wales and Scotland but the other member states used proportional representation for fewer larger constituencies (usually the member state itself as a single constituency), albeit with different methods of seat allocation.

The electorate took little interest but average voter turnout was 63%. The lowest turn out was in the United Kingdom with 32.2%: all others were above 50% apart from Denmark. Aside from Belgium and Luxembourg, where voting is compulsory, the highest turnout was in Italy with 84.9%. [ [http://www.ena.lu?lang=2&doc=5487 Rates of participation in European elections (1979-2004)] , European NAvigator]

Final results

Socialist parties working together under the Europe-wide Confederation of Socialist Parties won the most seats: the resultant Socialist group had 113 MEPs. Christian Democrat parties united within the pan-European European People's Party came second, with the resultant group having 107 MEPs. The largest third force was the Conservative European Democrats with 64, followed by Communists with 44. The Liberal Democrats had 40 seats, although their candidate was elected as President.

The groups formed were loose coalitions based on the groups founded in previous years, but they soon became the basis for modern European political parties.

tatistics

Post election

Louise Weiss, who was 86 at the time, was found to be Parliament's oldest member and hence presided over the chamber while the election of the President took place (July 1979). Before that could happen however, she immediately had to deal with Ian Paisley MEP who, in the first speech of the session, protested that the British flag outside the building was flying upside down. [Matthew Tempest and agencies [http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2004/jan/19/northernireland.devolution Paisley to stand down as MEP] , The Guardian, 19 January 2004 ] She dealt with the interruption swiftly. The confrontation was seen as one of her finest hours and she later confided that, as a grandmother, she was used to dealing with "recalcitrant youngsters". [ [http://www.europeanvoice.com/article/imported/a-number-of-names-worth-remembering-…/37506.aspx A number of names worth remembering …] , European Voice 1998-11-26]

There were five candidates for President of the European Parliament: Giorgio Amendola, Italian Communist, Emma Bonino, Italian Technical Independent, Christian de La Malène, French Progressive Democrat, Simone Veil, French Liberal, and Mario Zagari, Italian Socialist. [http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?language=EN&type=IM-PRESS&reference=20070109BKG01804 Election of the President of the European Parliament] , European Parliament]

In the first ballot, Veil secured 183 of the 380 votes cast - eight short of the absolute majority needed. The next closest contender was Zagari with 118 votes, then Amendola with 44, de la Malène with 26 and Bonino with 9. Bonino and de la Malène dropped out and Veil secured an absolute majority in the second ballot with 192 of the 377 votes cast (Zagari gained 128 and Amendola 47). Veil was elected as the first President of the elected Parliament, and first female President of the Parliament since it was founded in 1952.

The following were elected as Vice-Presidents: Danielle De March, Basil de Ferranti, Bruno Friedrich, Guido Gonella, Gérard Jacquet, Hans Katzer, Poul Møller, Pierre Pflimlin, Bríd Rodgers, Marcel Albert Vandewiele, Anne Vondeling and Mario Zagari.

Previously the Parliament was a weak consultative assembly, the members of which were part time. With the elections the new body of MEPs were full time, energetic and more diverse. As soon as the Parliament was established the "old guard" MEPs of the larger parties sought to raise the bar at which a European Parliament political group could be formed (the status gave financial support and representation in committees). This move was quickly blocked by smaller groups working together and filibustering the proposal. The ties formed at this time laid the foundations of the group: an alliance of left-wing and green parties which later became the European Greens–European Free Alliance group.

ee also

* Members of the European Parliament 1979-1984
* History of the European Communities (1973-1993)

References

External links

* [http://www.ena.lu?lang=2&doc=4000 The election of the Members of the European Parliament] European Navigator
* [http://www.europe-politique.eu/elections-europeennes-1979.htm Full Election Details] Europe Politique fr
* [http://www.ena.lu?lang=2&doc=15320 Speech by Simone Veil during the first session] European Navigator


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать реферат

Look at other dictionaries:

  • European Parliament election, 1979 (Ireland) — The European Parliament election, 1979 was the Ireland component of the European Parliament election, 1979. These were the first direct elections to the European Parliament.ResultsVoting details ee also*MEPs for Ireland 1979–1984 – List ordered… …   Wikipedia

  • European Parliament election, 1979 (Netherlands) — The European Parliament election of 1979 in the Netherlands was the election of MEP representing Netherlands constituency for the 1979 1984 term of the European Parliament. It was part of the wider 1979 European election.Four parties were able to …   Wikipedia

  • European Parliament election, 1979 (Denmark) — The European Parliament election of 1979 in Denmark was the election of the delegation from Denmark to the European Parliament in 1979.Resultsee alsoReferences …   Wikipedia

  • European Parliament election, 1979 (Luxembourg) — The European Parliament election of 1979 in Luxembourg was the election of the delegation from Luxembourg to the European Parliament in 1979.Resultsee alsoReferences …   Wikipedia

  • European Parliament election, 1979 (West Germany) — The European Parliament election of 1979 in West Germany was the election of the delegation from West Germany to the European Parliament in 1979.Resultsee alsoReferences …   Wikipedia

  • European Parliament election, 1979 (France) — In 1979 the first direct elections to the European Parliament were held in the France. Four parties were able to win seats: the centre right Union for French Democracy the Gaullist Rally for the Republic, the Socialist Party and the French… …   Wikipedia

  • European Parliament election, 1979 (Italy) — The first elections for the European Parliament in Italy were held June 10, 1979. Results External links [http://www.pre.gva.es/pls/argos elec/DMEDB elecPaises.informeElecDetallado?aVPaisId=I aNNumElec=1 aVTipoElec=E aVFechaElec=1979 aVLengua=v… …   Wikipedia

  • European Parliament election, 1979 (Belgium) — Elections to the European Parliament were held in Belgium on June 10, 1984. The Dutch electoral college elected 13 MEPs and the French electoral college elected 11 MEPs.Dutch electoral collegeFrench electoral college …   Wikipedia

  • European Parliament election, 1979 (United Kingdom) — Total votes cast 572,239.Party Leaders in June 1979*Conservative Margaret Thatcher *Labour James Callaghan *Liberal David Steel *SNP Gordon Wilson *DUP Ian Paisley *SDLP John Hume *UUP Harry Westee also* *MEPs for the UK 1979 1984 …   Wikipedia

  • European Parliament election, 2014 — 2009 ← members June 2014 → 2019 …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”