high , not only in relation to the results themselves , as always , but also regarding the overall turnout . Voter turnout was exceptional ; at 51 %, it was higher than in the four previous elections and the highest since 1994 , exceeding the psychological threshold of half the eligible voters , with an overall increase of more than 8 % compared to 2014 , and increases in 19 Member States . That achievement was primarily thanks to the strong participation of young people , with a 14 % increase in turnout among citizens under 25 and a 12 % increase among those between 25 and 39 . The European Parliament also played an important role through its institutional campaigns ; 44 % of Eurobarometer survey respondents confirmed that they had seen or heard messages from the European Parliament encouraging citizens to vote ; this figure was 39 % among non-voters but rose to 50 % among those respondents who had actually voted in the elections .
The Spitzenkandidaten process in the 2019 European elections
According to a Eurobarometer survey , the motivations that led Europeans to vote for the renewal of the European Parliament were , firstly , the economy and growth ( 44 %), followed by the environment and climate change ( 37 %) and human rights and democracy ( 37 %). The issue of Brexit also played an important role ; according to 22 % of respondents , Brexit was a decisive factor that influenced their choice to vote . More generally , it is important to highlight that the increase in turnout could be linked to a growing feeling of belonging to the European Union and the belief that one ’ s vote can influence the political dynamic , at least partly . Just over two thirds of respondents ( 68 %), the highest level recorded since 1983 , said their country had benefited from EU membership .
Following the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty in December
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