The European Parliament adopted this Tuesday, May 3 in Strasbourg the principle of transnational lists for the European elections. This was done in a tight vote: 323 votes for, 262 votes against and 48 abstentions. This would be the first electoral change within the EU since 1976.
With our correspondent in Strasbourg, Jean-Jacques Hery
The creation of transnational lists of European parties has already been the subject of several unsuccessful attempts in the past, this time it is voted by the Parliament. The idea is to breathe new life into European elections that are only national in fact, and which can sometimes serve, as in France, as a means of sanctioning the government in place.
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With the current electoral principle, the composition of the European parliamentary chamber is only the addition of the results of 27 elections which are most often decided on national issues within the Member States. The project adopted on May 3 does not put an end to this, but it does propose to welcome 28 new deputies to Parliament. They too would be elected proportionally, but in a transnational constituency. They will appear on real transnational European lists which will bring together candidates from the 27 Member States.
Campaigns across the EU
These lists will be proposed by coalitions of national political parties, national associations of voters or European political parties whose candidates will campaign throughout the Union to convince a voter who will have two ballot papers to choose from once in the voting booth.
“If I take an example to illustrate: in Italy, there are no extremely powerful green parties, they are weak and not represented. You can be young Italian and want to vote to help the Italian government, etc. So you vote for the Democratic Party, or for another, it does not matter. And at the same time say: “But it would be good if there were strong greens in the European Parliament. So, I vote for the transnational green list”. explains Pascal Durand, MEP of the Renew parliamentary group, which includes La République en Marche.
Many obstacles remain to be overcome before a possible entry into force of the reform from the next European elections in 2024. It will first be necessary to negotiate with the European Council, and to succeed in obtaining the unanimity of the 27 Member States. And that is not won yet.