As one of three member states with the lowest participation rate, overall and among the youth. The main goal of the roadshow across Slovakia´s regions was to rally up people and give them motivation to participate in the European Parliament election, which took place on 25th May of 2019.
European institutions, European Parliament´s Liaison Office and Representation of the European Commission in Slovakia met with inhabitants of 17 towns and cities across Slovakia in span of 4 weeks. We organized those in 5 regional capitals.
The daily programme commenced with student discussions at local universities. Representatives of the European institutions, NGOs and students discussed the importance of participating in the election and choosing our MEPs, but also the importance of the membership itself.
Events were divided into several sections, one of which covered an introduction of volunteers and activists, promotion of programmes serving the young, and presentation of successful projects that are not well known among the general public and which came into existence thanks to the EU funds. Roadshows got support of art schools, dance and folklore clubs, as well as choirs. Visitors received crucial information regarding the election at one of the stands. Moreover, they got a chance to take part in fun activities, such as quizzes and competitions to refresh their knowledge about various European countries and the EU as a whole. Mayors of hosting towns and cities almost always lent their support and attended the event in person.
After the main programme ended, we continued with dialogues with citizens in cooperation with local NGOs. These followed the same concept as the student discussions, the only adjustment being the topics. Those were specially adjusted to fit interests of the target group.
We contributed to the 2019 European Parliament election results – the participation rate in 2014 reached 13 percent. Slovakia achieved a new record in 2019 – almost 23 percent of all eligible voters.
The participation rate increased by 10 percentage points, from 6 percent to 16 percent, among voters aged 25 to 39.
Presence of the „This time I’m voting – at home in the EU“ campaign was noted by 34 percent of interviewed respondents. 32 percent of interviewees were also aware of activities and discussions with citizens and students