Surfrider Foundation Europe’s Post

🌊 Act for the Ocean 🌊 🇪🇺 Following the EU elections in June, the new elected members of the European Parliament are meeting for the first time in #EPlenary this week. 👀 All our eyes are on you, European Parliament, in this pivotal constitutive session where you will decide upon EU institutions’ leadership for the next five years. You will: - Elect the President of the European Parliament for the first half of the legislature, and the rest of the bureau - Elect the President of the European Commission - Decide on the forming of your committees and delegations. 🗣 Very importantly, before you decide whether to endorse Ursula von der Leyen for the Presidency of the European Commission, the latter will share her vision of her priorities for the Commission over the next five years. This presentation is of uttermost importance. We will hear whether or not the next Commission will act for nature, the #Ocean and blue communities across Europe, and if so, how it intends to do so. 📣 No matter what is shared at the Plenary, can WE count on YOU newly elected Members of the European Parliament to act for the Ocean? Here is our message to YOU 👇🏻 #BlueUp2024

In today's rapidly changing world, every vote in the EU elections matters more than ever. By voting, you shape the future of Europe, influence crucial decisions on climate change, economic stability, and human rights. Your voice is powerful. In times of uncertainty, let's unite and advocate for a stronger, more resilient Europe. Make your vote count. Together, we can build a future that reflects our shared hopes and aspirations. Vote in the EU elections—because your voice matters. #YourVote #YourVoice

🇪🇺 Hello Europe! The new survey on the 2024 European elections is out! 🇪🇺🗳 You can see the percentage of votes for each party. 🤔 But what are the most significant updates? Discover everything here 👇 📣 Recent projections by Europe Elects has showed a shifting political landscape in the European Parliament. The liberal Renew Europe group faces a downward trend, and the national-conservative ECR group could overtake as the fourth-largest force, if this trend persists. 🗳 We continue to witness a growing gap between the two major political groups – the socialists (S&D) and the center-right (EPP). The EPP has strengthened its position to 180 seats, while S&D has faced a minor downturn to 140. Compared to projections on January 15, the far-right ID maintains its position as the third-largest force. 👉 Always according the poll, The LEFT and the Greens/EFA parties have improved their positions. National party developments also play a crucial role. In 🇩🇪 Germany, the Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht (LEFT) party enters projections with three seats, while in 🇵🇱 Poland, PiS (ECR) loses ground. In 🇭🇺 Hungary, Fidesz gains two seats, and the Demokratikus Koalíció (S&D) experiences a decrease. 🇪🇺 Our common goal should be to strengthen the European project. And to do this, we need your vote. Europe needs you now. Your vote matters, so use it! 🫵🇪🇺 - Source: Europe Elects #EUelections #EU #elections #UseYourVote #EuropeanUnion #Europe

🗳 The countdown has begun, Europeans! 100 Days until the European Elections! 👇 📆 In just 100 days, all European citizens will have the opportunity to say their opinions on the future direction of our beloved Europe; from 6 to 9 June this year! It's important to remind that the European Parliament is the only directly elected EU institution, representing the diverse voices and aspirations of over 450 million Europeans. It is the Parliament that directly represents us for all European affairs, and it is always the Parliament that confirms or rejects the new Commission. 🙋♀️🙋♂️ So, yes, our vote counts, and the more of us vote, the more strength we give to the Parliament in front of the Council and the Commission, for a Europe that truly is the voice of its people. 🙌 ⭐️ As we advocate for a Federal Europe, we understand the importance of these elections in deciding the future of our European project. A more united Europe is not just a dream; it is within our reach, and it starts with our participation, with our will! Your vote is your voice, and together it is the European voice! Together we can influence the EU institutions. Together we can take a step forward, together we can reach our project for a new Europe, another Europe, that is a Europe of all, and not for the few. Long live Europe! #EU #Europe #EuropeanElections #Elections #UseYourVote

The first round of the French legislative elections came in much in line with what the polls had predicted. Marine Le Pen’s National Rally secured the most votes (around 34%) and appears likely to secure the most seats, though fall short of an absolute majority. The left-wing coalition New Popular Front secured around 29% of the vote while President Macron’s centrist alliance came in with around 21%. It’s a tough gig being a centrist politician in Europe these days. The second round of voting takes place this Sunday, where tactical voting is likely to come to the fore.  Of course, sandwiched in between the two French polls is the UK election on Thursday (UK time), where the only real question is how much damage gets inflicted on the Tories. Our concern in France is the biggest loser is likely to be fiscal sustainability. It’s hard to envisage any outcome that strengthens fiscal discipline. That’s a problem for France and it’s a problem for Europe.  See our recent note on fiscal sustainability here:  https://lnkd.in/g6PQrMp8

After months of discussions about the upcoming EU elections, the first polls open today, marking the start of a weekend of voting across Europe. 🗳 🇪🇺 What can the 2024 European party manifestos reveal about the policy directions and political strategies for the next European Parliament? At the European Policy Centre, we have examined the manifestos of the main political groups across various policy areas. We identified both differences and convergences between the parties on issues such as; economic security, defence, migration, health, employment and social affairs, green transition, agriculture, digital, enlargement and EU reform. Alberto Horst Neidhardt, Corina Stratulat Levente Kocsis, Berta López Domènech, Liza Saris, Brooke Moore, Chiara Scalamandrè, Mihai Chihaia, Xheimina Dervishi, Riccardo Bosticco, Matteo GORGONI & Philipp Lausberg

The European elections are just around the corner! But how much do you know about the European Parliament and the role it plays on the European stage? 👇 What started off as a purely consultative assembly in 1958 has turned into a true democratic powerhouse today. The first direct European elections took place in 1979 when our union was still called the European Community. To this day, the 🇪🇺 Parliament remains the only EU institution to be directly elected by the people! Of course, the powers of the Parliament have also significantly increased over the years. Thanks to many treaty changes, the Parliament now plays a central role in the European decision-making, alongside the European Commission and the 27 EU governments. In short, the European Parliament: 📍Co-decides on most European policies, ranging from trade deals to climate action, consumer protection to digital economy and social issues. 📍Amends the legislative proposals put forward by the Commission 📍Co-decides on the budget of the entire European Union 📍Elects the President of the Commission, and keeps the Commission in check Because the power belongs to the people, we want to strengthen that role even more, especially when it comes to a full right of initiative. As Socialists & Democrats, we will continue to advocate hard and strong for the European Parliament. To defend your voice and make European democracy thrive.

‼️The Green Deal must adapt to new political realities   This is what I told Jason Bordoff, host of Columbia Energy Exchange podcast, as we discussed take-aways from the recent European Parliament elections.   Here’s a snapshot:   “What I’ve been saying is ‘heed the lessons.’   I think now for the centrist parties to just say we are going to continue as if nothing had happened would be a mistake. Because I do think the voter was trying to send a signal that the Green Deal - at least as it is currently constituted - is challenging for a lot of people. You may have heard we had these farmers protests. We of course also still have a cost-of-living crisis. The price of energy is very high. So I think pushing on as if nothing happened will lead to a democratic backlash.   However, even in the business community, no one wants to see the Green Deal abandoned. They just want to see a Green Deal with a better business case.”   Listen to our conversation at the link below to learn more about some of the policy solutions that can help us design a successful reboot of the Green Deal. I know from my own experience that 'coalitions of the willing' like Energy Resilience Leadership Group can make a real difference in accelerating the deployment of emerging clean tech. And a blended finance vehicle like our EU Catalyst Partnership is a best practice of a new generation of PPPs that should become part and parcel of industrial policy in the next political cycle. #greendeal #nzia #industrialpolicy

🗳 🇪🇺 🇸🇪  Sweden’s EP election results went against trends seen in other European countries. Denmark and Finland saw similar results which begs the question: 𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐝𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐬𝐮𝐢𝐭 𝐨𝐫 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐄𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭-𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐟𝐭? Gustaf Fritz outlines the main takeaways of the European elections in Sweden below: ⬇   💡 It will be an interesting week as the results of the EP election slowly start to shape our work. As the week goes on, our colleagues across our European (and non-EU) offices will be providing expert insights into the potential ramifications of the election, both in their own region as well as EU-wide. #PublicAffairs #EuropeanUnion Rud Pedersen Public Affairs Sweden

After a busy election night, I would draw the following conclusions from the provisional results: ✔ The parliamentary majority supporting the current work of the European Commission would comprise 403 seats (EPP-RE-S&D), potentially enabling the re-election of Ursula von der Leyen as the European Commission President. ✔  Meloni has now positioned herself as one of the most powerful figures in the EU, where far-right parties made major gains. ✔  This is the first time that a European election has had such an impact on the national politics of a large member state. In this case, Marine Le Pen and her party have won the elections in France, forcing Macron to dissolve parliament and call new elections. ✔  The European Commission is expected to continue pursuing the Green Deal during the 2024-2029 term, but with reduced intensity and a stronger emphasis on business competitiveness, influenced by the new makeup of the Parliament. #EUelections2024