Good MEPs expected to form networks and have social skills
Political experience trumps social skills among Social Democrats
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Social skills and the ability to form networks are seen to be the most important characteristics a Member of the European Parliament, according to 64 per cent of Finnish voters and 53 per cent of candidates running in the elections on Saturday.
A dapper appearance and a good physical condition are not seen to matter as much; only a few scattered respondents both among the candidates, and among the public felt that they did.
The figures come out in a comparison of two surveys - a public opinion poll commissioned by Helsingin Sanomat and conducted by Suomen Gallup, and a questionnaire sent to all candidates for the Helsingin Sanomat online candidate selection engine.
The responses of the candidates and the public at large are not fully comparable. The members of the public were given the choice of three characteristics out of nine options, whereas the candidates were asked to choose just one characteristic.
Social skills were prioritised most by candidates of the Swedish People’s Party, 79 per cent of whom saw them as the key desirable characteristic. The choice appeared to be so self-evident for the party’s candidates that few even bothered giving any reason for it in their responses. One of the few who did was Päivi Storgård of the Swedish People’s Party.
“In the European Parliament it is important to find and to know the people with whom one can promote matters considered important. There is power in the political groupings of the European Parliament, which MEPs must be able to take advantage of”, Storgård writes.
Compared with representatives of other parties, candidates of the Social Democratic Party put a fairly low priority on networking and social skills - only 40 per cent of SDP candidates felt that they were the most important characteristics. The Social Democratic candidates also stood out by putting the highest priority on political experience.
With just slight exaggeration, it could be said that the ideal SDP candidate could be a long-term “political battery hen” unconcerned too much with life outside the office.
Another glaring disconnect in the views of the citizens and candidates is the importance placed on language skills and experience abroad.
The voters saw these characteristics as nearly as important as social skills, but only seven per cent of candidates felt the same way.
Helsingin Sanomat
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| 1.6.2009 - TODAY |
 Good MEPs expected to form networks and have social skills |
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