The area, a winding, three-hour drive from Athens, has the oldest population in the whole European Union, 54.3 on average. As balloting for the European Parliament gets underway Thursday, voters over 55 are emerging as a powerful bloc on a rapidly aging continent where younger voters are staying away from the polls in growing numbers. In Athens, the need for political parties to reach out to older voters has spurred a revival of traditional campaigning, too. In 2014, European voters over 55 had the highest turnout at 51%, while 18- to 24-year-olds had the lowest turnout at 28%, according to data from the European Parliament. He added that political parties are also devising strategies targeting younger voters, including mostly online ads and on social media.

Source: Washington Post May 23, 2019 13:00 UTC