W HY DID 80% OF S LOVAKS WITH VOTING RIGHTS, MANY OF THEM YOUNG PEOPLE, STAY HOME INSTEAD OF VOTING ( )? LADISLAV MACHACEK CERYS UCM TRNAVA SLOVAKIA

PARADOX E UROBAROMETER permanently confirm that the credibility of the EuParliament and the EuCommission is higher than the credibility of the national government and parliament in the Slovakia. The paradox is that Slovakia has its "leadership" in 2004 (16.9 %) and in 2009 (19.6 %) in the turnout of citizens for the European Parliament elections, which was the lowest across the EU (Lithuania (21%) and Poland (24.5%)

T HE CREDIBILITY OF THE EP AND THE EC AMONG STUDENTS IS HIGH : 2009 Prečítam vám mená rozličných inštitúcií. Pokúste sa povedať, ako im dôverujete na škále od 1 do 5. Pritom 1 značí “veľmi dôverujem” a 5 značí “vôbec nedôverujem”. Otázka 6 Vzorka: 963 študentov SR vo veku rokov

THE CITIZENS OF S LOVAKIA do understand and accept the EP and EC as the major supervisors of democratic governance in Slovakia which draws attention to the state authorities and their failures and generally obtain a remedy in many sensitive issues (ecology, law enforcement, etc.).

TURNOUT AS CRISIS OF LEGITIMIT Y FROM 49.5% IN 2004 TO 45.5% IN 2009 Slovakia belongs to a small group of countries (BG, PL, LV, EE-17%), Which recorded a growth in participation compared to 2004, of 2.7% (16.9% to 19.6%)

FROM 25.I.-5.II I. sociological research: 966 students in the age of 18 to 23

W HAT ABOUT POLITICS ? 2009 Aký je váš záujem o politiku? Otázka 25 Vzorka: 945 študentov SR vo veku rokov

21,3 % stated that they would certainly participate in the elections 13 % stated that they would participate almost certainly 1. 54,2 % knew that elections to the EP would take place in % of the students knew the name of J. Figeľ, EC commissioner representing Slovakia in the EU 4. 32% of the students are even informed that we will vote only 13, not 14 members to the EP in these elections.

THE MOBILIZATION OF FIRSTVOTERS the relevant elements pre- campaign in Slovakia were only projects aimed at studying youth funded by the European Parliament and the European Commission. 1. EuroTrain –in 5 towns (IUVENTA), 2. "Even you are the European Parliament." (IC EP) - 3 UNI 3. "Young European" (EC representation) 8 gymnasium. 4. The project Dpt. of Political Science at FF UCM in Trnava STUDENT EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, 5 months of intensive activities aimed at developing the growth of knowledge about the EU and the EP to mobilize them and their parents to participate in the elections to the EP.

P ROJECT SEP ACTIVITIES 1. Internet knowledge test by 2,565 secondary school students 2. The prize winning competitions attended approximately 240 secondary school students and 300 audience-fans of teams in 8 cities. 3. Plenary opening of the SEP ( in Trnava) was attended by 100 university students and the final plenary ( in Bratislava) was participated with the same number of participants. 4. The 14 EP committees within the universities in 8 cities participated 300 university students.

P ROJECT ACTIVITIES SEP 5. The project had a relatively intense media presentation over the national TV: 4 news and interviews in STV and Markíza. 6. The Internet traffic was high not only regarding (eg, approximately 8 thousand clicks), 7. project information could be seen among the websites of many secondary schools and universities in Slovakia. 8. Students were given promotional bags and pens with the logo of flyers and posters (5000 pcs) or calenders with logo SEP ( pcs).

A CCORDING TO THE FIRST POST E UROBAROMETER MOST PEOPLE REMEMBER THE CAMPAIGN BEFORE THE ELECTIONS IN Malta (89%), Sweden(86%) Slovakia (82%).

II. S OCIOLOGICAL R ESEARCH (757 STUDENTS ) AGED 18 TO 23 YEAR. The collection of empirical data was due to

I. INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROJECT. 57% of respondents did not know anything about this event - the project. 5% of respondents stated that they participated in the action project (knowledge of the competition over the Internet or SEP committees on its university). 11% of respondents stated that they have not personally participated in the project, but their classmates, colleagues, participated in the project 27% of respondents claimed that they have heard or seen something about the SEP in the media

II THE PARTICIPATION IN ELECTIONS, DEPENDING ON PARTICIPATION IN THE PROJECT. The rate of participation in elections is different under the participatory level of intensity in the project. Participants in the elections: most students who participated personally in some way within the project - 54% whose friends, colleagues, classmates participated in the project - 51%. the participation was less in those who have just heard over the radio or saw on television, the Internet and so on. - 41%. the below average participation in EP elections of those who have never heard about the project 24%.

III. A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE PARTICIPATION IN ELECTIONS TO THE EP AND THE VISION OF THE FUTURE IN 10 YEARS Electoral participation is essentially linked to the "life-optimism." In conditions of the number of voters´ participation is important understanding of the much better (44 %), better (34 %) or the same future (39 %) compared with parents. The actual decline in voters´ participation occurs only between the "pessimist" (worse future). In doing so, the uncertainty (do not know - 19 %) in the future in terms of impact on electoral behavior is surprisingly more important than the certainty that the future will be much worse (25 %) or worse (28 %) compared with parents.

O PTIMISTIC VISION OF F UTURE ABOUT 10 YEARS Aký názor máte na svoju budúcnosť o desať rokov ak sa porovnáte so súčasnou situáciou vašich rodičov? Otázka 7 Vzorka: 956/757 študentov SR vo veku rokov

P ARTICIPATION EP Vaša budúcnosť o 10 rokov v porovnaní s rodičmi Študentský európsky parlament OTÁZKA 13 Zúčastnili Ste sa volieb do Európskeho parlamentu ? Vzorka: 757študentov SR vo veku rokov Študenti SR

A CCORDING TO RESEARCH CARRIED OUT WITHIN 10 DAYS AFTER THE ELECTION ( ) by the expression of respondents participated in 33% of the population of 170,000 student-eligible voters who cast approximately 54,740 valid votes. Stating approximately 1.6 times higher turnout (participation) compared with a total population of eligible voters registered in the electoral rolls.

E UROPEAN P ARLIAMENT E UROBAROMETER (S TANDARD EB 71.3) - attended more of the whole citizens over 55 years (50 %) than in age from 18 to 29 years (29 %). To verify that our hypothesis of the results to the elections to the EP in Slovakia are relevant we can use the Eurobarometer finding : respondents who have pursued an education beyond the age of 20 were the most numerous to go to the polls (52%).

W HY NOT EP ELECTIONS (67%) OTÁZKA 22 Prečo som sa nezúčastnil volieb poslancov do Európskeho parlamentu... Vzorka: 477 študentov SR, ktorí sa nezúčastnili volieb do EP

W HY NOT ? My vote will not change anything 61% I believe that the EP does not sufficiently deal with problems that concern me 59% because political development in Slovakia 57% Because MPs -only money and advantages 58% EU 27 Slovakia

M ORE IMPORTANT ARE FINAL RESULTS OF THE E UROPEAN P ARLIAMENT. Among 14 elected MPs there was not a representative of Slovak Communist Party or Slovak National Party. Out of 14 MPs there are five women and two representatives of the Hungarian ethnic minority. Among 13 elected MPs are representative of national parliament party only. Out of 13 MPs there are five women and two representatives of the Hungarian ethnic minority – 16,9 %2009 – 19,6 %

C ONCLUSION – NEW EXPERIENCE It is usefully that every part of any massive project focused in youth should be empirical research identifying the situation and knowing the views and attitudes of young people at the beginning and the end of an information campaign Research result must be only as part of its overall assessment.