Daily Reports
High Turnout Marks 2024 European Elections in Hesse
The European elections of 2024, particularly in Hesse, have garnered significant interest with a voter turnout of 63.1 percent, marking a notable increase from 58.4 percent in 2019. The polls, which opened early Sunday morning, welcomed approximately 4.85 million eligible voters eager to cast their votes for the new European Parliament. Notably, this election witnessed a higher rate of postal voting, a trend accelerated by the pandemic.
Political Landscape in Hesse Post-Election
As of late Sunday evening, the results from Hesse were almost fully tallied. The CDU emerged as the dominant force, securing 30.0 percent of the vote—a 4.2 percentage point increase from their performance in the last European election. Trailing them were the SPD with 16.4 percent, AfD securing 13.6 percent, and the Greens facing a significant drop to 12.9 percent, from a previous 23.4 percent. The FDP captured 6.3 percent while other smaller parties collectively garnered 20.8 percent.
European Minister of Hesse, Manfred Pentz (CDU), lauded the high voter turnout as a 'strong signal' of support for European integration. However, he expressed concern that frustrations with Germany's federal policy might have influenced votes against broader European interests, potentially hindering the EU's functionality. Pentz underscored the importance of swift cohesion among new political groups in the European Parliament to present a united, action-capable EU that remains close to its citizens.
Throughout the day, voting proceeded smoothly with only minor incidents reported, such as a delayed polling station opening in Wiesbaden due to a burglary. By late Sunday, the CDU had claimed major victories across various districts, although the Greens managed to prevail in the city of Darmstadt.
Across Europe, exit polls and projections painted a night of anticipation as tallying moved forward one country at a time. Notable was the diverse response across member states, hinting at a multifaceted parliamentary structure for the new term. In Italy, for instance, early turnouts were modest, but the decisive numbers were expected by late evening.
- Polling stations across Hesse reported minor incidents, such as delays in Wiesbaden due to police investigations following a break-in. However, voting broadly proceeded without substantial interruptions.
- Apart from political votes, notable local referendums took place. In Limburg, a close contest decided on the controversial measure of controlling the city’s pigeon population, reflecting the broad range of issues voters engaged with during the election day.
