Hurdles to the ratification of the Electoral Act: press conference with the rapporteur

Following the plenary vote on Tuesday, Borja Giménez Larraz (EPP, ES) will answer journalists’ questions on the hurdles to ratification and implementation of the European Electoral Act.

The report highlights stalled progress on electoral reform and urges member states to overcome political deadlock to advance a more coherent European voting framework.

Press conference details

When: Tuesday 20 January, 16:30 – 17:00 CET

Where: European Parliament in Strasbourg, Daphne Caruana Galizia press conference room - WEISS N -1/201

How: Accredited journalists can attend the press conference in person. Those wishing to participate actively and ask questions remotely can do so via Interactio. Before connecting, check the guidelines and recommendations for remote speakers. The press conference will be livestreamed and recorded via Parliament’s Multimedia Centre.

Background

The 2018 revision of the Act is yet to be ratified by Spain (which blocks the application of compulsory measures in other EU countries, e.g. electoral threshold rules in Germany), while its optional provisions have been transposed in a limited manner, revealing a lack of political will to commit to a democratic process that better reflects the European dimension. Similarly, a lack of political will among member states on the 2022 reform means that no interinstitutional negotiations have taken place to date.

Revisions of the EU Electoral Act require notification by all national parliaments in accordance with their constitutional procedures. Among other changes, the 2018 reform provides for the introduction of a mandatory electoral threshold, ranging between 2 % and 5 % for the allocation of seats in single-constituency countries. Parliament’s 2022 reform proposal introduced further measures, including common age thresholds, postal voting, a fixed day for holding European elections, a common electoral campaign period, and the creation of a Union-wide constituency with transnational lists.