Posėdžio stenograma

Antradienis, 2018 m. spalio 2 d. - Strasbūras

18. Balsavimo teisių praradimas ES (diskusijos)

  Președintele. – Următorul punct de pe ordinea de zi este dezbaterea privind:

– întrebarea cu solicitare de răspuns oral referitoare la privarea de drepturi de vot în UE, adresată Consiliului de Cecilia Wikström, în numele Comisiei pentru petiții (O-000069/2018 - B8-0039/2018) (2018/2676(RSP)) și

– întrebarea cu solicitare de răspuns oral referitoare la privarea de drepturi de vot în UE, adresată Comisiei de Cecilia Wikström, în numele Comisiei pentru petiții (O-000070/2018 - B8-0040/2018) (2018/2676(RSP)).

  Cecilia Wikström, author. – Mr President, it’s very interesting to be discussing this issue, which is of great importance to EU citizens, at this hour. However, I’m very pleased that this debate is taking place since voting rights is a key issue for the committee of which I am Chair, namely the Committee on Petitions, in this House.

Participation in the democratic life of the EU and the electoral rights of EU citizens living abroad in another Member State in the Union is frequently the subject of petitions to my committee. Six Member States – namely Cyprus, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Malta and the United Kingdom – systematically deprive their nationals of the right to vote in national elections due to their residence in another Member State. The same Member States also disenfranchise their nationals in European elections if they live permanently in a third country.

However, the right to vote is a fundamental right. Therefore, depriving citizens of the right to vote once they move to another EU Member State is effectively equivalent to punishing these citizens for having exercised their right to free movement in the Union.

These persons very often feel like second—class citizens. These practices can change their whole lives without giving them the opportunity to participate, which was the case for all the British citizens who were not allowed to participate in the referendum about Brexit because they had lived in another Member State for some time. However, they were directly affected by the result when Brexit was a fact. It is therefore high time that the Member States in this Union address this very concrete concern because disenfranchisement has huge consequences for all the individuals concerned.

The loss of electoral rights for citizens moving to another Member State can be seen as an infringement upon freedom of movement under EU law. It could potentially stop EU citizens from exercising their right to free movement in the Union. Indeed, the discouraging effect in each individual case may be difficult to prove, but the violation of EU citizenship rights does not require statistical or other evidence. It’s enough to read the petitions to our committee.

The main justification for disenfranchisement, that citizens living abroad no longer have sufficient links with their home country, seems completely outdated in the globalised world of today. We are interconnected with each other. The nationality bond with a state is still the main connecting factor for the rights and obligations of each citizen, but citizens resident abroad still have obligations deriving from their nationality so they should also be conferred their corresponding rights. In addition, there has been a Eurobarometer on electoral rights, where two—thirds of the respondents thought that it was not at all justified that people lose the right to vote in national elections in their country simply because they reside in another EU country.

The Committee on Petitions considers that EU citizens who move to reside in another Member State should have the possibility to exercise their right to vote in the national elections of their country of origin. The committee therefore calls on those Member States that disenfranchise nationals who choose to live for an extended period in another Member State to ease the conditions for these nationals and preserve their right to vote in national elections. The committee is aware of the fact that the decision on who is conferred the right to vote in national and European elections lies with the Member States. Nevertheless, we also know that the problem of the disenfranchisement of voting rights has been known for a long time. It is therefore high time to take action now.

We therefore urge the Commission to propose specific measures for removing any obstacles to free movement. Especially in view of the upcoming elections in May next year, we must safeguard the right of all EU citizens to choose to vote either in their Member State of origin or in the host Member State where they reside. I look forward to hearing your answers to the questions put forward by the Committee on Petitions.

  Juliane Bogner-Strauss, President-in-Office of the Council. – Mr President, the possibility for citizens to express their political will by exercising their right to vote is part of the very fabric of democracy. The Union itself is founded on the value of respect for democracy. For the Council, increasing and improving citizens’ participation in the democratic life of the Union is a priority and all European institutions and Member States should join forces to achieve this objective.

The Presidency notes the concerns voiced by Ms Wikström, reflecting the concern of the authors of the petition regarding the consequences of the disenfranchisement of voting rights in national elections in some Member States in relation to the exercise of the freedom of movement. However, the Treaties do not confer any power to the Council to act in this regard, as this is a matter of national sovereignty, which in many Member States is regulated by the Constitution.

Concerning the facilitation of the exercise of the right to vote, I want to emphasise that in July, the Council adopted a revision of the 1976 electoral law act, encouraging the Member States inter alia to take the measures necessary to allow citizens residing in third countries to vote in elections to the European Parliament. This has been without any doubt an important move towards a more participative European election process.

Regarding the upcoming elections to the European Parliament, the Council supports the EU—wide information and awareness raising campaign on EU citizenship rights, including electoral rights to support turnout. In particular, last year the Council adopted conclusions where it invited Member States to enhance citizens’ participation in the EU democratic process, for example, by better informing them of their rights to vote in local and European elections and by removing barriers to their participation.

In the discussion held last year in the Council on the EU citizenship report 2017, the Council asked the Commission to promote best practices implemented in the Member States to help citizens vote or stand in EU elections. The Council also considered as a positive measure the developments by the Commission of a multilingual standard form to facilitate the swift exchange of information between Member States to its contact points about the rights of citizens to stand as a candidate when residing in another Member State.

  Věra Jourová, Member of the Commission. – Mr President, honourable Members, first of all let me thank the Petitions Committee for tabling this question. In my answer I will summarise what the Commission has done up to now on this issue.

Already in the 2013 citizenship report, the Commission underlined that full participation of Union citizens in the democratic life of the Union at all levels is the very essence of Union citizenship. The right to vote is also clearly at the base of democracy. While most Member States allow their citizens to vote in national elections and referenda in their home countries, a few, enumerated by Madam Wikström today, set considerable restrictions on this right when citizens move to another EU Member State. Since no EU country currently awards foreign nationals the right to vote in national elections and referenda, it means that some EU citizens cannot vote in such elections in any of the EU Member States. The Commission recognises that Member States are solely competent to determine who can benefit from the right to vote in national elections. The EU Treaties only guarantee EU citizens the right to vote in their state of residence in municipal and European elections. However, the founding premise of Union citizenship is that it is additional to national citizenship and is meant to give additional rights. The fact that the exercise of the right to free movement may lead to losing the right of political participation is at odds with that principle.

The Commission has kept the situation under observation for a number of years and the Commission therefore issued a recommendation in 2014, in which Member States were asked that their nationals might apply to remain registered on the electoral roll and therefore retain their right to vote. In last year’s 2017 a report on EU citizenship the Commission referred to this issue of disinfringement in national elections. It noted that 67% of respondents to the 2015 Eurobarometer on EU citizenship felt it was unjustified that citizens should lose their right to vote in national elections in their country of origin.

In April this year the Commission included this issue in the discussion paper transmitted to Member States ahead of an exchange between national election authorities organised following the Commission recommendation of February 2018 on the efficient conduct of the European elections.

Let me assure you that the Commission continues to monitor developments and initiate specific actions within its competence. The annual fundamental rights colloquium to be held on 26 and 27 November this year in Brussels is dedicated to this issue and the title of this year’s colloquium is ‘democracy in the European Union’. You are warmly welcomed to this event.

The colloquium will include a session focused on the exercise of the right to vote when moving to another Member State. I am convinced that if we work together we can induce improvements. With regard to the question on the complaints received by the Commission, I would like to inform you that we analysed the ten complaints received in the past five years, but had to conclude that it was not possible to take further action, notably because of lack of competence.

  Michaela Šojdrová, za skupinu PPE. – Pane předsedající, volební právo principiálně souvisí s právním státem a výkonem politických práv a také s volným pohybem občanů Evropské unie. Zaráží mě, že v 21. století některé členské státy odepírají v národních volbách volební právo občanům, kteří žijí v zahraničí. Právo volit je přeci jedním ze základních občanských práv a občané téhož státu by si měli být ve svých právech rovni. Pokud stát občanům v některých situacích neodůvodněně odepírá volební právo, fakticky tím vytváří druhořadé občanství. Provinil se snad občan tím, že pracuje, studuje nebo pobývá v jiné zemi? To přece ještě neznamená, že mu je osud jeho země lhostejný a že by neměl mít právo se vyjadřovat k jeho záležitostem. Členské státy by proto měly více dbát na doporučení Komise z roku 2014 a umožnit účast v národních volbách alespoň těm občanům žijícím v zahraničí, kteří o to požádají.

V institucích Evropské unie bychom se však měli zabývat především evropskými volbami. Za nešťastné považuji to, že některé členské země – a Česká republika mezi ně patří – neumožňují v evropských volbách svým občanům žijícím v zahraničí volit své národní kandidáty. Velmi podporuji aktuální návrh zákona, který byl v ČR předložen, na zavedení korespondenčního hlasování. V evropských volbách by totiž tento zákon vůbec poprvé umožnil českým občanům volit české kandidáty ze zahraničí. Považuji to za fér z hlediska rovného zacházení s občany žijícími v zahraničí. A věřím tomu, že by se tím i zvýšila volební účast. V návaznosti na tuto novou možnost vznikne samozřejmě i potřeba zamezit dvojímu uplatnění volebního práva. Věřím ale, že nám v tom pomůže dobrá spolupráce a výměna zkušeností s ostatními členskými státy stejně jako nedávno schválená novela volebního kodexu.

  Jude Kirton-Darling, on behalf of the S&D Group. – Mr President, EU citizenship is fundamental for our millions of citizens. It is a shared identity in addition to our national or regional identities which unlocks the possibilities of exploring this great continent, allowing free movement and the opportunity to live, work and study in other EU countries. Political rights as basic as the right to vote or stand as a candidate sit at the very heart of our shared European values.

Since the EU referendum, we Brits are perhaps more aware than most of the value of EU citizenship, since we fear we will lose it. However, while we might share equal treatment protection in the workplace and in access to university places, we do not have equal treatment in that most fundamental bedrock of our societies: the right to democratic participation. Citizens who have taken advantage of the freedom of movement from five Member States, notably my own, often find themselves completely disenfranchised of national representation. They are unable to vote in national elections, both in their home country and in their adopted country.

While I have sympathy for those who argue the logic that citizens who live in another Member State may not be affected by domestic laws or taxes made in their home country, this complete lack of national voting rights for EU citizens who have moved using EU treaty rights is incompatible with our European values.

Moreover, today we have a further complication – in fact, we have lots of complications in relation to Brexit – as we will see EU citizens, either UK nationals in the rest of the EU or EU citizens in the UK, disenfranchised on purpose. These EU citizens, whether Brits abroad for longer than 15 years or EU nationals from our sister countries in the UK, are the most acutely affected by Brexit. Yet they had no say in 2016, and now their democratic rights are being disregarded again as there are no provisions in the draft withdrawal agreement on voting rights, no guarantee of existing rights and no provision for future rights. This is a moral dereliction of duty. What are you doing in the Commission and the Council to avoid this intentional disenfranchisement? Personally, I support a people’s vote and a final say for all.

  Νότης Μαριάς, εξ ονόματος της ομάδας ECR. – Κύριε Πρόεδρε, η πρωτοβουλία της Επιτροπής Αναφορών να φέρει προς συζήτηση τη στέρηση των εκλογικών δικαιωμάτων σε επίπεδο Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης νομίζω ότι είναι πάρα πολύ σημαντική. Και πρωτοβουλίες τέτοιου είδους πρέπει να αναλαμβάνουμε συχνά, καθώς θα προχωρούμε προς τις ευρωεκλογές, γιατί πρέπει να υπάρξει πλήρης διασφάλιση και άσκηση των εκλογικών δικαιωμάτων κατά τη διάρκεια των ευρωεκλογών, οι οποίες έρχονται σε πολύ σύντομο χρονικό διάστημα.

Θα πρέπει να υπάρξει πλήρης διασφάλιση και άσκηση των εκλογικών δικαιωμάτων για όσους έχουν φύγει από τα κράτη μέλη καταγωγής τους. Και αυτό ισχύει για πάνω από 400.000 Έλληνες πολίτες που έφυγαν από την Ελλάδα λόγω της κρίσης, οι οποίοι πρέπει να μπορούν να ασκήσουν τα εκλογικά δικαιώματά τους. Και όσο είναι στην Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση, αυτό, τουλάχιστον από πλευράς Ελλάδας, είναι δυνατό. Έχουν δηλαδή τη δυνατότητα να ψηφίσουν με ελληνικό ψηφοδέλτιο, ακόμη και αν είναι π.χ. στη Γαλλία.

Θα πρέπει όμως αυτή η δυνατότητα, κατά την άποψή μας, να δοθεί και σε όσους Έλληνες πολίτες είναι εγγεγραμμένοι στους εκλογικούς καταλόγους και κατοικούν σε τρίτες χώρες, κατά κύριο λόγο στις Ηνωμένες Πολιτείες, στην Αυστραλία, στον Καναδά. Πρόκειται για την ελληνική ομογένεια η οποία, εφόσον είναι εγγεγραμμένη στους ελληνικούς εκλογικούς καταλόγους, θα πρέπει να μπορεί να ασκήσει το δικαίωμά της αυτό στις ευρωεκλογές, είτε με επιστολική ψήφο είτε στα προξενεία και στις πρεσβείες της Ελλάδας στις χώρες αυτές. Μόνο με αυτό τον τρόπο μπορεί να υπάρξει πλήρης άσκηση των εκλογικών δικαιωμάτων.

Θεωρώ επίσης ότι πρέπει να επεκταθεί η συζήτηση για να εξετάσουμε τους όρους με τους οποίους τα μέσα μαζικής ενημέρωσης προβάλλουν τις ευρωεκλογές και τις απόψεις των πολιτικών κομμάτων.

  Beatriz Becerra Basterrechea, en nombre del Grupo ALDE. – Señor presidente, gracias señora Jourová por estar aquí hoy, porque hablamos de la libre circulación de personas, que ha sido una de las principales banderas históricas de la Unión Europea.

Sin embargo, esta libertad se pervierte cuando un ciudadano europeo se traslada a otro país de la Unión y pierde su derecho de votar en su país de origen. Esto es lo que ocurre en varios Estados miembros —entre ellos, el Reino Unido—, que retiran el derecho de voto a los ciudadanos cuando trasladan su residencia.

¿Qué habría pasado con el Brexit si el millón de británicos residentes en otros países de la Unión Europea hubieran podido votar en ese referéndum? Y también está el caso de países como España, que no retiran el derecho de voto, pero crean procedimientos tan complejos que en la práctica es imposible ejercerlo. Se llama «voto rogado».

Es profundamente antieuropeo que haya fronteras para los derechos fundamentales, que cuando un europeo cambie su residencia dentro de la Unión se convierta en ciudadano de segunda. Está en nuestras manos evitarlo.

  Ángela Vallina, en nombre del Grupo GUE/NGL. – Señor presidente, en los últimos años, efectivamente, hemos observado en la Comisión de Peticiones de este Parlamento una triste realidad, en la que el derecho al voto, un derecho político básico, es negado sistemáticamente a millones de ciudadanos y ciudadanas de la Unión. En mi país, por ejemplo, la reforma de la Ley Orgánica de Régimen Electoral ha ayudado a que el 95 % de las personas que vive en el extranjero no participe en las elecciones, por las barreras administrativas existentes.

Las técnicas utilizadas, vistas en otros países también, incluyen el voto rogado, plazos imposibles de cumplir, trámites consulares complejos, pagarse los propios gastos de envío del voto, pérdidas de la documentación para votar, falta de personal en los consulados, etcétera. Votar se ha convertido en un calvario para más de dos millones y medio de personas que viven fuera de España.

Así que, como representantes elegidos, exigimos que los Estados cumplan con los principios democráticos, eliminen todas las barreras posibles y que la Comisión haga una evaluación global del cumplimiento de las leyes electorales en base a sus competencias.

No tomar medidas supone robarle a la ciudadanía la posibilidad de expresarse, y robarle aún más al sistema la legitimidad que tiene.

  David Coburn, on behalf of the EFDD Group. – Mr President, every country has the right to establish its own rules on how to conduct elections. Countries like Great Britain, which has had a functioning parliament for over a thousand years, do not need, with due respect, advice from the European Parliament, which only allowed elections in 1979.

The rules in the UK are clear: a person cannot vote in a UK election if they are not on the electoral roll. This is a means by which we can ensure only people entitled to vote can do so. Without this very reasonable check, we could see elections in jeopardy. Already postal vote fraud perpetrated in some migrant communities has undermined the integrity of the vote in many constituencies. Over the last decade, an average of 282 complaints per election reached the Electoral Commission concerning electoral fraud. We have every right to maintain our strict system in the face of these challenges.

The EU complains about our system but fortunately, in March we won’t be here so you won’t have that problem. I would say to Ms Kirton-Darling and Ms Becerra Basterrechea regarding more Brits voting for the European Union if they’re abroad that I lived abroad for many years and you don’t get anybody more pro—Brexit than me.

  Peter Jahr (PPE). – Herr Präsident! Das Hohe Haus sollte dem Petitionsausschuss sehr dankbar sein dafür, dass wir das Thema diskutieren. Allerdings ist es nicht gerade die beste Sende- und Sitzungszeit. Vielleicht sollte man das in Zukunft beachten, denn das Thema ist an sich viel zu ernst, als dass wir das so nebenbei als letzten Tagesordnungspunkt behandeln müssen.

An und für sich scheint ja alles eindeutig. Die Staatsbürgerschaft und die damit verbundenen Rechte werden durch die Mitgliedstaaten geregelt. Das Recht zu wählen gehört mit dazu und liegt in der Verantwortung der Mitgliedstaaten. Nun glaubt man ja als naiver Zeitgenosse, dass die Mitgliedstaaten sich bemühen, dass ihre Bürger auch lange dieses Recht behalten. Die Wahrheit ist aber teilweise anders oder, um es staatsmännisch zu formulieren: Die Mitgliedstaaten entscheiden in der Europäischen Union sehr unterschiedlich, wann und wie die Bürgerinnen und Bürger, die nicht mehr auf ihrem Staatsgebiet wohnen, ihr Wahlrecht ausüben können. Wir können nicht akzeptieren, dass ein Wahlrecht in der Europäischen Union de facto vom Geburtsort abhängig ist. Meine Vorrednerin hat es schon gesagt: Besonders spektakulär war die Situation ja beim Brexit, wenn man so will: Bürgerinnen und Bürger Großbritanniens, die im Auftrag ihres Landes in Brüssel gearbeitet haben, durften sich nicht mal am Votum über den Brexit beteiligen. Das ist an sich eine ziemlich groteske Situation.

Deshalb bitte ich – eindringlich – auch den Rat – wir wissen ja im Petitionsausschuss selber, wie die gesetzliche Lage ist –, über das Wahlrecht zu diskutieren, es zu harmonisieren und eine bessere Lösung zu finden. Denn das Wahlrecht ist ein Grundrecht, und das sollte man den Bürgerinnen und Bürgern der Europäischen Union nicht nehmen und vor allen Dingen nicht vom Geburtsort abhängig machen.

  Michela Giuffrida (S&D). – Signor Presidente, onorevoli colleghi, è imminente la più importante, più decisiva consultazione elettorale della storia d'Europa. Eppure noi l'affronteremo in mancanza di un intervento che deve invece assolutamente arrivare, ancora una volta privando migliaia di cittadini europei del diritto di voto, assieme a quello della libera circolazione, se questi risiedono in un paese diverso da quello di appartenenza.

E questo accade in mancanza di una legislazione uniforme perché non tutti gli Stati eliminano le barriere burocratiche e consentono l'esercizio di voto in queste condizioni. Tutto questo è veramente assurdo e assolutamente anacronistico. Sappiamo bene quanto spesso le procedure di voto all'estero siano complicate, ma chiedo al Consiglio come si possa ancora oggi, a maggior ragione, in un momento in cui massima dovrebbe essere la coerenza rispetto ai valori fondanti di partecipazione e condivisione e comune progettualità, come sia possibile portare avanti una situazione del genere.

Grazie all'intervento della commissione per le petizioni, noi speriamo che si colmi quella che è una lacuna enorme per l'esercizio democratico di tutti i cittadini europei.

  Martina Anderson (GUE/NGL). – Mr President, citizenship is supposed to be a community of equals, yet 1.8 million EU right holders in the North of Ireland could be disenfranchised from their democratic right to vote and to stand in the European elections post Brexit. LBC has reported that the DUP wants, I quote, ‘as hard a border as possible’ in Ireland and disenfranchised citizens, no matter the cost. It is against the very principle of democracy that the citizens be left without a voice in any decision-making process that affects them, but that is actually what the Democratic Unionist Party is saying.

Sinn Féin has legal advice that demonstrates there is no constitutional or legal impediment to (a) facilitate external voting for all Irish nationals and (b) create a new European constituency for the North of Ireland. It is the entitlement and birthright of everyone born on the island of Ireland to be part of the Irish nation and therefore the Irish Government needs to amend its national law to reflect this. Civil liberties for people in the North of Ireland cannot be allowed to evaporate before our very eyes, and I want to say that this Parliament and the EU are saying they are going to uphold the Good Friday Agreement in all of its parts, then that means upholding the civil liberties of the people in the North of Ireland too.

  Rosa Estaràs Ferragut (PPE). – Señor presidente, el derecho de sufragio es un derecho fundamental y está reconocido en los propios Tratados. Es más, cuando hablamos de ciudadanía europea es esencial garantizar el derecho a la participación política.

Votar es un derecho civil básico; no es, en ningún caso, un privilegio. Hemos recibido en la Comisión de Peticiones muchísimas peticiones alertando de la dificultad de poder ejercer ese derecho fundamental en algunos países de la Unión: en Alemania, en Dinamarca, en Chipre, en Malta, en Irlanda y en el Reino Unido; en España y Portugal, dificultades por los obstáculos existentes para poder ejercitar este derecho.

Es necesario garantizar esta participación política si queremos realmente conseguir el cumplimiento de los valores europeos. En este sentido, en España, parece que se van a eliminar obstáculos para poder ejercer este derecho al voto. Las últimas noticias es que se va a eliminar la petición del voto rogado para que pueda durar cuatro años; se van a ampliar los plazos para que la documentación llegue al elector; se van a habilitar, además de los consulados, los institutos Cervantes, las casas regionales, las casas de España y otros centros para poder facilitar el derecho al voto, y se intentará siempre que las garantías y la transparencia posibiliten al máximo esa participación política.

Es verdad que la problemática del voto exterior es más compleja porque hay más vulnerabilidad y es más difícil garantizar la transparencia, pero es imprescindible trabajar desde la Comisión, el Consejo y los Estados miembros para garantizar que la libre circulación de ciudadanos europeos, que es uno de los logros de la Unión, no impida nunca el derecho a la participación política.

Tenemos que lograr —y, en ese sentido, creo que pueden hacer mucho la Comisión y el Consejo— que la participación electoral de la diáspora deje de ser, de una vez por todas, la cenicienta de la democracia.

  Catherine Stihler (S&D). – Mr President, thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak this evening. Firstly, I want to say how appalled I was today to hear the British Prime Minister boast about ending freedom of movement. This is denying every UK citizen the opportunity to live, work and study across 27 countries. On a personal level – I myself, my family, my friends, my constituents – we are all going to lose our EU citizenship. This is something we value and it is shameful to boast about denying individuals the rights they currently enjoy. With Brexit, far from creating a global Britain, my country is becoming Little Britain, smaller, insular and isolated.

On voting rights, the dreadful disenfranchisement of UK citizens living abroad during the EU referendum is one which the EU must never allow to happen again. How could those who have most to lose have been denied their rightful say? The terrible uncertainty hanging over UK citizens currently living in the EU is one which could have been avoided. The EU needs to act to protect all its citizens’ rights.

  John Howarth (S&D). – Mr President, can I first of all reiterate everything my colleague Catherine Stihler said just now. The right to vote is a fundamental right, and it is the fundamental right that itself protects democracy, because at the end of the day, it is democracy that protects the individual from the excesses of the state. That can only be protected by participation. However, instead of making it easier for people to vote now, we seem to be making it more difficult, either by rigging the register or making it more difficult for people to turn out to vote on the day.

It is vital that we give people who move the right to vote, because it’s people who move in search of work, to discover, to learn, to export, to trade or to create wealth who are the people to whom we need to give a stake in the communities in which they choose to live. Those who have chosen to live in the European continent have been betrayed by the British Government in that referendum and betrayed in the withdrawal agreement. We are now seeing Brexit for what it is, namely the wholesale removal of rights from individuals by the state. They should get the right to reconsider the outcome.

(Applause)

Intervenții la cerere

  Csaba Sógor (PPE). – Mr President, the fundamental right to be able to vote in elections is the most important of political participation rights. Democratic participation at elections confers legitimacy to those exercising public power and their decisions affecting citizens.

Democratic participation is also linked to the right of free movement in the European project. Nowhere was this more visible than in the Brexit referendum, in which more than 700 000 British expat citizens were not entitled to vote, although it was clear from the beginning that, out of all citizens, it was their lives that the referendum result would affect the most.

Citizens who move to and reside in another EU Member State should not be stripped of their democratic rights in their country of origin. The Council and the Member States are well advised to take steps to ease the conditions of disenfranchisement and to protect the right of EU nationals living in another EU Member State to vote in elections and referenda taking place in their home country.

(Applause)

  Julie Ward (S&D). –Mr President, (inaudible) citizens in modern democracies and free movement of citizens is one of the founding principles of the EU, enshrined in the Treaties. Despite both these statements being facts, thousands of citizens are unable to exercise their right to vote because they’ve used the opportunity to live in another European country.

As an elected Member from the United Kingdom, I’m appalled at my national government’s disregard for British citizens’ freedom to exercise conjointly the right to vote and the right to move freely in other European countries. Another very urgent issue concerns the rights of UK citizens who, despite having lived in European countries for many years, may not be able to take part in the local political life of their host country. This is also a concern for European citizens living in the UK.

These voting rights are not merely abstract ideas, they have a concrete effect on national and European politics – one of them being the gerrymandered results of the 2016 British referendum. Now, less than one year away from the European elections, I hope colleagues realise what is at stake. The very survival of our citizens’ faith in the European Union as a truly democratic project.

  Luke Ming Flanagan (GUE/NGL). – Mr President, Ireland is one of six EU Member States which deprived their citizens of the right to vote in national parliamentary elections due to residence abroad. As I’m sure you probably know, there are a lot of Irish people abroad. If you’re gone for longer than 18 months, you’ve given up your right to representation, it seems.

However, during both the marriage and abortion referendums, the ‘Get the Boat to Vote’ campaign demonstrated that thousands of Irish people abroad are deeply concerned about the future of their country and, if the property market would allow it, they would one day return. Last year our government made the tokenistic proposal to extend voting rights in the election of the president, a largely ceremonial role with no executive powers. Why not enact meaningful reform and allow every Irish citizen a say in how the country is actually run?

The answer, of course, is that these disenfranchised voters are also disenchanted voters, and cannot be counted on for their support. By consistently refusing to act and privileging those voters who didn’t have to resort to migration, Ireland is effectively gerrymandering the country and blocking those most affected by the catastrophic decisions of successive Irish governments. It’s got to change.

  Γεώργιος Επιτήδειος (NI). – Κύριε Πρόεδρε, το δικαίωμα της ψήφου είναι θεμελιώδες, είναι αναφαίρετο και, για τον λόγο αυτό, είναι αυτονόητο για κάθε πολίτη κράτους της Ευρωπαϊκής Ενώσεως. Κάθε κράτος έχει την υποχρέωση να λαμβάνει τα απαιτούμενα μέτρα, ούτως ώστε να εξασφαλίζει τη δυνατότητα στους ψηφοφόρους του να ψηφίζουν, είτε κατοικούν στη χώρα τους είτε σε άλλη χώρα της Ευρωπαϊκής Ενώσεως, ακόμη και σε χώρα άλλης ηπείρου.

Ορισμένες χώρες όμως δυστυχώς δεν δίνουν το δικαίωμα αυτό στους πολίτες τους και δεν τους επιτρέπουν να ψηφίζουν στις ευρωεκλογές, όταν ζουν σε άλλη χώρα εκτός από τη δική τους. Το επιχείρημα το οποίο προβάλλουν ότι κάποιος ο οποίος ζει σε τρίτη χώρα –εννοώ σε άλλη χώρα της Ευρωπαϊκής Ενώσεως– δεν έχει καλή πληροφόρηση, άρα δεν μπορεί να έχει και ορθή κρίση για τα όσα συμβαίνουν στην πατρίδα του, είναι τουλάχιστον υποκριτικό. Η Ελλάδα εξασφαλίζει το δικαίωμα στους Έλληνες πολίτες που ζουν σε χώρες της Ευρωπαϊκής Ενώσεως να ψηφίζουν στις ευρωεκλογές. Δεν αναγνωρίζει όμως αυτό το δικαίωμα στην ομογένεια η οποία ζει εκτός Ευρωπαϊκής Ενώσεως.

(Încheierea intervențiilor la cerere)

  Věra Jourová, Member of the Commission. – Mr President, as I said at the beginning of this very interesting debate, the Commission does not have the general power to intervene in electoral matters and it is primarily for the Member States to lay down the arrangements on national elections, including defining the composition of the electorate. As I also said, the Commission will continue to work in this area within its limited competences under the Treaty.

We have used and will continue to use all the tools at our disposal to address the issue of losing the right to vote in exercising the right of free movement. We look forward to continue working with Members of the European Parliament on this matter, and thank you for your attention.

  Juliane Bogner-Strauss, President-in-Office of the Council. – Mr President, the Council notes that, in accordance with Article 4, the Union must respect the national identities of Member States and that it belongs solely to the Member States to decide on the composition of the electorate for national elections. However, I want to thank you very much for raising awareness about these issues, which are important for those Union citizens who wish to move freely to another Member State and not to be penalised by such decisions.

As mentioned by Commissioner Jourová, there will be a Colloquium on Fundamental Rights, where this issue will certainly be discussed in more detail. I think that we will certainly have the opportunity at this event to deepen the exchange.

  President. – The debate is closed.