Editorial: Democracy in action - cast your vote this Friday
With voting day, Friday, June 7, now upon us, these next few days are time to reflect upon what you want from your local council and its representatives.
It has felt like a lifetime since a date for the local and European elections was announced, and now it is upon us. The race has been relentless with posters on every available lamppost from Ferrybank in the city to Ardmore, Tallow and the farthest reaches of county Waterford.
Canvassing has been another marathon, with candidates trying to knock on as many doors as possible in a bid to bag your all-important vote. In these elections it really can come down to the wire of a couple of votes meaning the difference between gaining a seat on Waterford City and County Council or in the European Parliament.
That is the beauty of democracy - it really is in our hands now to choose who we wish to represent us on the political stages of our local authority and Europe. The latter can seem more complex, and often difficult to see how our Members of the European Parliament really can have influence among so many representatives - for plenary sittings, 705 Members of the European Parliament meet in the chambers in Strasbourg and Brussels.
Yet, through careful choosing of political alignments, and political lobbying, networking, and simple graft, you would be surprised how effective our Irish MEPs can be at making their voices heard and their impact felt.
There are currently seven political groups within the European Parliament, which are organised by political affiliation, not nationality.
These include the Group of the European People's Party (Christian Democrats), the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament, the Renew Europe Group, the Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance, the European Conservatives and Reformists Group, the Identity and Democracy Group, and the Left group in the European Parliament.
The MEPS are also divided into various committees, which draw up, amend and adopt legislative proposals and own-initiative reports. They consider Commission and Council proposals and, where necessary, draw up reports to be presented to the plenary assembly.
There are numerous forums through which our Irish representatives break through the rather mammoth 705-member parliament to work towards exacting political change, and serving Irish interests.
At home, the local elections put the parish into politics, and candidates will have been pitching to assist with the most local of issues as they vie to represent Waterford.
It is no coincidence that the TDs of the political parties, which form the current government, have been relentlessly sending out press releases announcing all manner of good news and funding boosts. Timing is everything, and in politics that has been more apparent than ever over the past month. The opposition TDs have been following close on their tails, keen to point out a little more of the nuance of what these announcements actually mean. In some cases they are straightforward, applications received, monies granted, good news stories; in others promises have been made for projects far into the future, and only time will tell if they will be realised.
With voting day, Friday, June 7, now upon us, these next few days are time to reflect upon what you want from your local council and its representatives, and also your members in the European Parliament. See beyond the shiny promises to the pearls of wisdom, and, most importantly, cast your vote. Democracy in action is only as strong as a good turnout as we choose the best people for the next five-year job term.
