Brussels suggests single voting day for next EU polls

(BRUSSELS) - After record low turnout and the premature release of some results, the European Commission will on Wednesday suggest a single day of polling for the next EU parliamentary elections in 2014.

EU commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso, who on Tuesday announced his intention to seek a second term in office, will present a document urging nations to synchronise polling days and to "promote real European electoral campaigns".

The paper, seen by AFP, urges the 27 EU countries to consider for the 2014 polls "innovative measures for its citizens" suggesting "voting on the same day (for example May 9) in all countries of the Union would be highly symbolic".

Not to mention practical. The commission is currently awaiting explanation from the Dutch authorities as to why results from its European parliament elections were released immediately after poll booths there closed on Thursday.

The Netherlands and Britain were the first to vote in four days of EU elections which ended on Sunday and EU officials feared the early release of results in one country could influence those in another.

Even on Tuesday the official results remained provisional and were altered slightly during the day.

What remained clear was that the European People's Party -- an umbrella grouping for national conservative parties -- retained its position as the biggest bloc in the EU parliament with 263 of the 736 seats.

The main losers were the social democrats whose vote share fell by over five percent leaving them well behind on 162 seats.

The Liberals came third with 80 seats while the Greens, the only main group to increase its vote share, ended up with 52 seats.

Overall turnout was a record low with just 43.1 percent of the 388 million voters bothering to turn out for the biggest ever transnational elections.

Indeed turnout has dropped at each election since voting began in 1979, demonstrating once again that much of the electorate does not understand the chamber's increasingly powerful law-making role or simply does not care.

The commission also argues in its paper that measures should be taken to address the problem that too few Europeans living abroad exercise their right to vote in another EU country.

Barroso himself set no example in this regard, flying home to Portugal to cast his vote.

The 29-page document, prepared by the office of EU Justice Commissioner Jacques Barrot, covers a broad area and provides a general programme for action on freedom, security and justice for the next five years.

Barroso will also be hoping this vision wins over some of those reluctant to see him serve another term as commission chief after his current mandate runs out at the end of October.