The European Parliamentary Elections 2014 on Eastminster

Elections to the European Parliament will take place this week. In the UK, citizens will go to the polls on Thursday 22 May with results being announced on Sunday 25th, after the polls have closed across Europe.

In the run up to the elections Eastminster features a range of posts about the EU, the election and policy issues relating to Europe:

The European Parliament Debate. Candidates, fighting to represent the Eastern region, took part in a debate in February. The debate was filmed by SeaMedia. Watch it in full online.
‘How to win if you are 1 against 27: Can the UK still influence the rest of the EU?’, Dr. Adam Steinhouse argues that Britain has been able to achieve many policy goals and exert much influence in the EU.
Britain and Euro-scepticism – understanding the fit. Dr. Michael Skey explains how so many people in Britain are against or disengaged with the EU project.
The EU Parliament – an Environmental Champion? The European Parliament has been often been heralded as a champion of environmental policy within the European Union. Viviane Gravey and Jonas Schoenefeld consider how green the EU parties are, their prospects for electoral success, and the power that they will have in Parliament after the elections.
The Big Sleep – fighting an election. Mark Wells stood as a candidate in both a general election and European election. The European election was much less engaging for candidates and the electorate, he argues, because of the proportional electoral system.
Turnout at EU Elections. UEA journalism student Philip Turtle has been looking at why turnout is so low and speaks to Dr. Toby James about some possible solutions.
The case for compulsory turnout in the UK. Voter turnout in Britain is way behind that in Belgium and Luxembourg where voting is compulsory. History student Alice Donnelly argues that compulsory voting should be introduced for general elections in the UK, and that if this is successful, it should also be introduced for European elections too.
What is the EU Parliament? Everything is explained in this SeaMedia video.
Sixth form competition winner: The EU Elections – the race to the EU title. The Eastminster blog recently hosted a competition for sixth form students to write a post on the EU elections. The winner was Sam Kenward of Sir John Leman Sixth Form in Beccles. In his post, Sam reviews the prospects of each of the parties as the UK heads to the polls to choose its MEPs this week.
The dangers of anti-EU populist extremism. Dr. Vassiliki N. Koutrakou argues that the rise of the radical right in Europe threatens to undo 55 years-worth of European integration which has brought to the European continent unprecedented peace and prosperity.