EU-Profiler : positioning of the parties in the European elections

Abstract

The EU Profiler is a Voting Advice Application (VAA) running during the European Elections of 2009. It situates the parties competing in these elections (and includes parties from three non-EU-Member-States) in a political spectrum, according to their positioning with regard to 30 statements on: (a) Welfare, family and health: welfare programmes maintained even if taxes increase, privatization of healthcare services, increase in subsidies for childcare; (b) Migration and immigration: encourage immigration of skilled workers, restrict immigration; (c) Society, religion and culture: legalisation of same sex marriages, greater respect for religious values in politics, decriminalisation of soft drugs, legalisation of euthanasia; (d) Finances and taxes: reduction of government spending, tax-raising powers for EU, bail out failing banks with public money; (e) Economy and work: reduction of workers´ protection regulation, reduction of EU subsidies to farmers; (f) Environment, transport and energy: support for renewable sources of energy, promotion of public transport, fighting global warming; (g) Law and order: restrictions of civil liberties, more severe punishment for criminals; (h)Foreign policy: EU should speak with one voice, EU should strengthen security and defence policy; (i) European integration; judgement about EU integration is good, benefits from EU-Membership, accession of Turkey, more power to EP, less veto power for individual member states, referendum on EU-treaty; (j) Country specific items.