Dear readers,

Our democracies are being tested by a number of factors that have been affecting Europe since Russia's aggressive war against Ukraine, with severe social, political and financial impacts on every Member State and on the Union itself. Yet I have always believed that when confronted with challenging times, European citizens stand united, together, determined to pave the way forward and shape the Europe they want for their future and for generations to come by voting to choose the new European leadership.

As the upcoming European elections will greatly affect the course of the EU over the next five years, the EESC has joined forces with the European Parliament by signing a Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in preparation for the European elections, scheduled for 6-9 June 2024.

Experience shows that the turnout at European elections is lower than for national elections. For this reason, the EESC is going to be very active in raising awareness of the upcoming European elections. By mobilising our network of 90 million people – employers', workers' and other civil society organisations – we can help boost turnout.

A number of measures have already been put in place, starting with the Civil Society Week held on 4-7 March 2024, which saw over 800 representatives from civil society organisations and youth groups gather to discuss the upcoming elections and the future of the EU.

With the adoption of a Resolution at the March plenary, the EESC issued its call encouraging citizens to get out and vote. A dedicated webpage under the slogan #USEYOURVOTE has been set up to host activities, events and initiatives by the EESC members and staff. Members' local outreach activities will play a key role!

On 4 May, all EU institutions will open their doors to celebrate democratic engagement in the elections by marking the anniversary of the "Schuman Declaration". Meanwhile, on 26 May, our passionate "Run For Europe" team will take part in the Brussels 20K event to promote the "Use your Vote" campaign. We should not forget that the more people that vote, the stronger democracy becomes. The more people that vote, the more legitimate the decisions taken become. This time round, citizens, especially young people, need to get out and vote. By doing so, they can make a difference and give Europe a "face", a "face" they will be proud of.

As it addresses the general interest of European citizens, civil society can play a pivotal role in this campaign, particularly when it comes to raising awareness about the importance of elections and encouraging people to vote.

Let's work together, reach out to citizens and to civil society organisations, at all levels – European, national, regional – engage with them in a true dialogue, listen to their voice and tell our political leaders what the organisations of millions of citizens that we represent expect from the new MEPs and the new Commission over the next 5 years.

Our vote counts! #USEYOURVOTE

Respectfully yours,

Laurenţiu Plosceanu, Vice-President for Communication