Strasbourg has called for the reform of the European electoral law in order to create a single constituency in all of Europe of 28 deputiesto which Europeans can vote together with a national list in the next European elections in 2024. The text of this legislative initiative has gone ahead with a narrow majority of 323 votes in favour, 262 votes against and 48 abstentions.
The Spanish Socialist Domènec Ruiz Devesawho has presented the text, has assured that “the electoral campaign will be Europeanized and European political parties will be made visible and empowered”.
If this reform goes ahead, Europeans will be able to cast two votes: one to elect MEPs at national levels and another to elect the 28 members of the EU constituency. To ensure proper geographical representation, the Member States would have to be divided into three blocks, based on their population, with which to proportionally represent the regions.
Legitimize the election of the President of the Commission
This electoral reform also proposes that European parties or coalitions of national parties can propose their own lists headed by a candidate to preside over the European Commission.
Ruiz Devesa: “The electoral campaign will be Europeanized”
The European Parliament has the responsibility to vote for the president of the European Comission. After the last elections of 2019, the chosen one was Ursula von der Layen a decision that raised controversy since she was not the candidate of the most voted political group, the European People’s Party (EPP). At the time, Manfred Weber he would have been elected President of the Commission as the main candidate of the EPP.
With this new procedure, MEPs are confident that establishing a single list will help legitimize the election of the President of the Commission and thus strengthen the European institutions.
However, it seems complicated that this legislative initiative will continue. After the vote of Europarliamentnow it’s up to Council of the EU ratify or modify the text. If the Council makes any changes, then Parliament will have to vote on the new document again, which is why it seems unlikely that it will be approved, given the differences with the project in Tuesday’s vote.
Another novelty introduced by this proposal includes the holding of the European elections on May 9the date on which the signing of the Schumann Declaration as a symbol of the founding of the European Union. In addition to harmonizing the right to vote from the age of 16 and the right to appear on the lists at the age of 18.
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