Brussels, 29 March 2022 – The way we elect our MEPs could change in the near future: today the proposal for a reform of the European Electoral Act was backed by a majority of 19 votes (9 against) in the EU Parliament Committee on Constitutional Affairs.
The main change gives way to the transnational lists covering all Member States: each voter would have two votes, one to elect MEPs in the usual national constituencies and a one in a new EU-wide constituency; from the latter we will have 28 additional MEPs.
Transnational electoral lists of candidates should be submitted by European electoral entities, such as coalitions of national political parties and/or national associations of voters or European political parties. These lists will have to respect geographical representation in order for smaller member states are not put at a competitive disadvantage.
MEPs also want to introduce a set of minimum standards during EU elections. Minimum age to stand as a candidate is 18 with a mandatory electoral threshold of at least 3.5% for large constituencies (those with at least 60 seats) should be introduced.
When we will vote our MEPs? Jot down the date: 9 May will be the common European voting day in all member states. The same date Russia celebrates with a military parade its victory on Nazi-Germany, we will celebrate, by contrast, our democracy…
The proposal, put forward by the Spanish MEP Domènec Ruiz Devesa (S&D) includes a new European Electoral Authority would be in charge of registering the lists.
The Constitutional Affairs Committee will vote Tuesday, 29 March on an accompanying resolution to the draft Regulation.
The European Parliament could vote it as soon as next 2-5 May plenary session. If passed by the EP, as this is a constitutional reform, it will have to be adopted unanimously by the Council and receive the approval of all the Member States in accordance with their respective constitutional requirements, as to Article 223 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU).
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