In an effort to make it easier for Europeans residing in another Member State than their own to vote or stand in elections organised in their country of residence, MEPs backed two proposals on Tuesday.
Parliament adopted two sets of closely-aligned proposals on the electoral rights of EU citizens residing in another Member State. It asks for the so-called "derogation" provisions to be scrapped. These would prevent countries from restricting the electoral rights of other EU nationals when they represent more than 20% of all EU citizens residing in their territory.
As a result, nationals of other Member States could participate in both local and EU elections taking place in their country of residence. They would no longer be barred from top local government positions, which until now have been reserved for nationals of the given country.
"One beauty of the EU lies in the freedom to move and live anywhere, but too often our political rights end at the border, preventing us from being able to vote in European or local elections where we live," said German MEP for the Greens/EFA, Damian Boeselager.
Making voting more European
Based on data from 2020, the share of EU citizens who are nationals of another Member State in the overall voting population varies greatly. Luxembourg (with 40.4% of its voting population ) takes first place, while Poland (0.09%) is last. In Cyprus, Ireland, Belgium, Austria, and Malta, it ranges between 7% and 14% of the electorate.
"As a member of a pan-European party, I am proud that Parliament has proposed solid ways to make voting in EU and local elections more European," Boeselager said. "EU countries should follow our lead and make our elections more accessible and innovative. I urge them to do this before this summer."
MEPs demand binding rules on systems to proactively proceed with voter registration (as soon as a citizen registers as a resident in another EU country), information on electoral rights and deadlines to be offered to newly-registered EU residents in an official EU language that they speak. They call for the same standards to apply to all EU citizens seeking to stand for election.
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Parliament also calls on Member States to make it easier for vulnerable groups, including people with disabilities and mental illnesses, to exercise their electoral rights. MEPs defend alternatives to physical ballots and in-person voting – such as postal, advance, proxy and online voting.
Now, the Council must decide how to amend the rules by unanimity, following the completion of Parliament’s role in the consultation procedure.
