Despite the interest in electing mayors and hundreds of local councilors, Cypriots are showing less enthusiasm to vote in the June 6-9 elections than their European counterparts.
The European Parliament’s Spring 2024 Eurobarometer reveals a strong 71% of European voters likely to go the polls, far above the 60% in Cyprus.
However, this figure has increased by 10 percentage points from the last Eurobarometer in Autumn 2023, and 16 points from the survey prior to the EP elections in May 2019.
Perhaps the campaigning being dominated by traditional parties and the fact that Cypriots will hold six ballot papers has frustrated voters. In Cyprus they will be called to elect the six members of the European Parliament, 20 mayors, 92 deputy mayors, five regional council presidents, and hundreds of municipal councilors and school board members.
The highest rate of ‘likely to vote’ was recorded in Denmark (87%), followed by the Netherlands (86%) and Sweden (81%). The lowest interest vote appeared in Bulgaria (50%), Estonia (52%), and Croatia and Portugal (57%).
According to the findings of the Eurobarometer, interest in the EP election, awareness of when it will take place, as well as likelihood to vote are all on the rise since the last survey in autumn 2023, when they were last measured.
Increases are even more striking in comparison to the Spring 2019 survey (three months prior to the previous European elections).
Importance of elections
Findings also suggest that EU citizens are very much aware of the importance of the elections in the current geopolitical context, with more than eight in ten (81%) agreeing that it makes voting even more important.
In Cyprus, 80% of those surveyed said the elections are important, considering the geopolitical situation, while 55% said they were “interested in the elections”, compared to an EU average of 60%.
The survey was conducted by Verian between February 7 and March 3. In all, there were 26,411 face-to-face interviews in all 27 EU member states, of which 500 were conducted in Cyprus.
While 73% of European citizens said actions by the EU have a direct impact on their daily lives, the response was significantly higher in Cyprus, at 84%.
A further 85% in Cyprus said they would like the European Parliament to play a more important role, compared to the EU average of 56%.
In the rest of Europe, poverty and social exclusion are what matter most (33%), followed by public health (32%), while in Cyprus, immigration and asylum is more concerning (41%), followed by a sustainable economy and job creation (40%), with poverty and social exclusion both at 38%. 
