Election of the members of the European Parliament by direct universal suffrage: MEPs debate (part 1/2)

MEPs debate on a legislative proposal for a new European Electoral Act, aiming for common standards, a Union-wide constituency, and gender balance. The draft text foresees a system in which each voter should have two votes: one to elect MEPs in national constituencies, and one in an EU-wide constituency with 28 additional seats. The candidate lists for these seats would have to respect geographical representation and a new European Electoral Authority would be set up. MEPs also seek to turn the 27 separate elections that take place currently in EU countries (with their diverging systems and voting rights), in which citizens elect the Members of the European Parliament, into a real, single European election with common minimum standards.