The Synodical Committee on European Affairs of the Church of Greece in collaboration with Bishop Theologos of Serrai and Nigrita and the European Parliament's Office in Athens organised a Congress on European Elections. The event, held in Serres, was aimed at both the clergy and ordinary citizens.

The Synod of the Evangelical Church of Württemberg (South Western Germany) adopted a statement on the European Elections, calling the church members to participate in the elections. Click above for the document.

The newspaper of the Italian Protestants, Riforma, published the ecumenical European Election pamphlet in its 27 March 2009 edition.

The Fédération d'Entraide Protestante (FEP) discussed the European Parliament Elections during its annual meeting in Sète (France) on 28 March. Click the title above to learn more.

Réforme magazine in France featured several articles on the European elections in their 6 April 2009 issue (#3323).

The Czech churches gave the Biannual for Diaconia 2009 held in Prague from 13 to 25 April a European perspective. The Czechs work towards a "Europe without borders" through a virtual exhibition project. Click the title to access the gallery. 

European Elections and current EU affairs were amongst the topics discussed at the seminar of the International Association for Christian Education held in Bad Wildbad (Germany) on 14-17 April 2009. Click above for the Press Release.

The Community of Protestant Churches in Europe (CPCE) has issued a prayer for the European Elections (click above). In the introduction of the document, CPCE reminds Europeans of the 20th anniversary of democratization in Central and Eastern Europe. The right to vote freely was fought in these countries with much courage and personal commitment. Democracy lives by the involvement of men and women.     

The Protestant Academy in Rhineland organized a panel discussion with candidates of the Green, Social democratic, Christian Democratic, Liberal, Left and Free voters' parties. A lively discussion took place around the questions raised in the European Elections leaflet. The debate concluded with a wide support for a European social Charta with equal taxes and equivalent social welfare systems.

“Exercise your democratic right to vote” is the message of leaders of the Presbyterian Church of Wales to the Welsh people ahead of next month’s European Elections. “The European Parliament is the only European institution that we can directly elect and those elected will be making far-reaching decisions affecting us in Wales, Europe and in the world,” said Revd Ifan Roberts, the General Secretary of the Church, and added: "We all have a chance now to raise issues about the environment, poverty and social dignity, migration and refugee protection and peace and development. These are matters of deep concern to the church and they affect whole communities.” Click the title to read more.

The churches in the Czech Republic support the country's current EU Presidency. As one of their activities, the churches held a Day of Open Churches on Europe Day and in that occasion reminded the citizens of the upcoming European Elections and of the importance of taking part in European debates.

Metropolitan Athanasios of Achaia, Head of the Church of Greece Representation to the European Union, spoke on the radio of his church on Europe day. Metropolitan Athanasios talked about the upcoming European Elections and the role of the church representations in Brussels. Metropolitan was again interviewed on the issue on 5 June, just ahead of the elections.

In view of the increasingly important role that the European Parliament plays in the lives of citizens of the EU, the Church in Society Committee of the Church of Ireland has circulated the European Elections booklet to clergy during May 2009 for information and to facilitate voters with relevant, up-to-date perspectives.

The May issue of the Greek church journal PLIROFORISI focused on Europe. The journal included articles by Bishop Ignatios of Demetrias about the future of Europe and by Mr George Kassimatis, Head of European Parliament's office in Athens, about the past and the future of Europe. Dr Athanasios Theodorakis wrote on the new phase of Europe in an article entitled "Quo vadis Europa?". In addition, the publication included articles by Dr Kostas Zorbas on "Why we must vote in European Elections?", by Ms Katerina Karkala-Zorba on women in Europe, by Father Karmas on the Synodical Committee of the European Affairs and by Bishop Athanasios on the Brussels' Office of the Church of Greece. Click above to read the publication.

The official site of the young christians from the Archidiocese of Athens of the Church of Greece has issued several documents and articles on the European Elections. Click above for a link to Neotita. 

Local Greek church radio "Martiria" of the Holy Metropolis of Dimitrias has held two special emissions on European Elections. The first one was on 18 May with Mr George Kassimatis, the Head of the European Parliament office in Athens. The second took place on 25 May with Dr Kostas Zorbas. Dr Zorbas, the co-translator of the European Elections' leaflet into Greek spoke about churches' campaign.

On the eve of the European elections, the Federation d'Entraide Protestante (FEP) organised circles of silence in 100 French cities to draw attention to EU and national policy regarding immigration and the treatment of undocumented migrants. Click here to read a press release.

Aus Deutschland wurden 99 Abgeordnete in das Parlament entsandt. Die Diakonie befragte fünf von ihnen nach ihren sozialpolitischen Positionen für Europa: Katrin Jöns, sozialdemokratische Europaabgeordnete aus Bremen, Thomas Mann, christdemokratischer Europaabgeordneter aus Hessen, Dr. Wolf Klinz, Europaabgeordneter der FDP aus Hessen, Elisabeth Schroedter, Europaabgeordnete Bündnis 90/Die Grünen aus Brandenburg und Gabriele Zimmer, Europaabgeordnete Die Linke aus Thüringen. Gefragt wurden sie zu ihren Positionen in den Bereichen Armut, Migration, Umweltpolitik und Entwicklungszusammenarbeit. Während die Positionen in den Bereichen Armutsbekämpfung und Förderung der Chancengleichheit übereinstimmten, waren sie sich in ihrer grundsätzlichen Ausrichtung der Europäischen Union uneinig. Die gesamte Gesprächsdokumentation finden Sie unter
www.diakonie.de/188_5308_DEU_HTML.htm

The Synodical Committee on European Affairs of the Church of Greece in collaboration with Bishop Panteleimon of Veria, Naousa and Kampania and the European Parliament's Office in Athens organised a Congress on European Elections and on intercultural dialogue. The event, held in Veria, was aimed at both the clergy and ordinary citizens from Thessalia and Central Macedonia.