We continue our review of comments on the European elections. In this number it’s the turn of Lithuania and Sweden (see SirEurope no. 45/2004) LitHuania: “POPULIST PARTIES PROMISING MIRACLE CURES TOP THE POLLS”. “The victory of the populists expresses citizens’ reaction to national policy in which there’s little justice for workers”. That’s the comment to SIR of Monsignor Jonas Kauneckas, bishop of Panevìis (Lithuania) and chairman of the Council for the apostolate of the laity, on the choice of the electors, who were called to vote not only for their representatives to the European Parliament but also for the designation of a new President, after the removal from office of Roland Paksas on 6 April. Commenting on the electoral results, and especially the victory of the “Labour Parry” led by the millionaire of Russian origin Viktor Uspastkitsh (48.15% of the votes cast), the bishop of Panevìis recalled the speech recently addressed to the national Parliament to “remind the country’s leaders to pay greater attention to citizens, and dedicate themselves more to the poor than to those who control the capital” and he declared: “People want more justice in society” and are tired “of exploitation and corruption”. As in most of Europe, the population voted against the traditional parties, “preferring instead political forces devoid of tradition, but full of miraculous promises to solve the country’s domestic problems”, thus demonstrating that “they don’t have a very clear idea of the functions of MEPs”, commented the chairman of the electoral commission zenonas vaiguaskas. Also in the view of PAULIUS Subaleius , professor at the University of Vilnius and Christian journalist, “some Lithuanians hope it is possible to realise paradise on earth. That’s why over a third of the population voted for parties that promised the earth; something that the European Parliament is not competent to do”. But there is also a positive signal: if, of the 13 seats in the EP allocated to Lithuania, 5 were assigned to the populist party, the others were divided between the people’s party (3), liberal-democrats (3) and socialists (2). That is a proof, concluded Subaleius, that “the electors of the traditional parties chose the alignments that corresponded most to the criteria indicated by the Lithuanian bishops in their pastoral letter issued in the run up to the elections, such as collaboration with the great international parties, the past participation of party candidates as observers in the work of the EP, and the commitment demonstrated in the transition from the Soviet system to democracy”. sWEDEN: scePTICISM BUT GREATER support IN THE NEW GENERATIONS. “Many people in Sweden are sceptical about the European Union and are pressing for Sweden to quit Europe. This is especially registered in the hinterland, in the north of the country and among the working classes, where less than 26% voted”, says Maria Hasselgren, of the press office of the diocese of Stockholm. “A good deal of shock Hasselgren continues has also been aroused by the fact that the Junilistan party, founded only four months ago, won 14.6% of the vote. Its voters are not urging Sweden to leave the EU, but nor do they want Brussels to have too much power; they ask that as much national sovereignty as possible be retained”. According to the press office of the bishop of Stockholm, Msgr. Anders Arborelius, “in general, membership of the EU is considered a good thing by Catholics. That’s especially the case among those who represent the first or second generation of immigrants who have their ‘roots’ in other European countries: e.g. Poles, Italians, Croats, Hungarians, Germans and Irish. For all these it’s rather natural to feel themselves ‘Europeans’. As for the native Swedes, the situation seems divided: “On the one hand, there are those who appreciate the fact that it’s easier to travel, import alcoholic drinks, study and work in other nations of the continent. On the other hand, there are those who deplore the EU due to the high level of unemployment, the cuts to the welfare state, which exacts a high price from EU membership, and especially the fact that almost everything is decided above our heads in Brussels”. However, she concluded, “the young generations are in general more open and supportive and probably in the space of ten-to-fifteen years current opposition to the EU will have withered, especially if real economic growth is achieved, combined with the crackdown on terrorism and the promotion of peace, thanks to the strength of united Europe”.
