Europe Faces Voter Turnout Woes, Moldova Seeks Solutions
European leaders are fretting over potential voter apathy in upcoming elections, prompting a search for solutions to boost turnout.
Some countries, like Belgium, impose fines for skipping the polls, but Moldova's expert community deems such measures "impossible" due to constitutional guarantees of free choice.
With nearly half the world heading to the polls this year, concerns about low engagement are high. The Republic of Moldova faces presidential elections alongside 29 other nations, with another 20 holding parliamentary votes. Added to this mix are the European Parliament elections in June.
Fueling these anxieties is the rise of populism and extremism, potentially swaying disengaged voters. To counter this, EU states are exploring various methods, including fines, to reignite civic participation.
Mandatory voting, however, has its detractors. While implemented in Belgium, Argentina, and Australia, countries like Cyprus and Italy have abandoned it. In Moldova, political analyst Igor Boțan stresses its incompatibility with the current constitution, which upholds "free, expressed suffrage."
"Amending the constitution is out of the question," Boțan asserts, highlighting the large Moldovan diaspora that wouldn't be realistically penalised. He predicts such a move would be "absolutely unpopular" among citizens.
The issue becomes more complex when considering the declining youth turnout in Moldova. According to economist Veaceslav Ioniță, only 37.2% of young people participated in the last local elections, painting a worrying picture for future engagement.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
