EP elections - slight decline in turnout

Provisional turnout figures for the election are set at 42.94%, according to the TNS Polling agency. This is around the same level as 2004, with only a slight decrease by 1.55%. In 2004 the amalgamated turnout of the 25 Member States was 44.40 %. Since then, Romania and Bulgaria have subsequently joined the Union.

Out of the 376 million EU citizens eligible to vote, 162 million people voted.
 
Turnout varied per country, some having a higher turnout than in 2004 and others with a decrease. The biggest turnouts were in Luxembourg with 91%, Belgium 90.3%, (where voting is compulsory) and Malta with 78.8%. In the UK the turnout was 34.27% and in the Republic of Ireland 57.6%. 
 
The biggest increase in turnout occurred in some of the smaller Member States.
 
Speaking after the poll the President of the European Parliament, Hans-Gert Pöttering, said that: “MEPs and the media need to work together - they are responsible politically. We must ensure continuous reporting of the EP's work in coming years and I am sure the turnout will be better in 2014.”
 
Mr Pöttering compared the turnout with the US mid-term elections for the House of Representatives where the turnout is almost always below 50%.