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. Opening statements by Domènec RUIZ DEVESA (S&D, ES), Rapporteur and by Vera JOUROVA, vicepresident of the European Commission.

Strasbourg

debate

plenary session

JOUROVÁ, Věra (EC)

RUIZ DEVESA, Domènec (S&D, ES)

2024 European elections (T)

Election of the members of the European Parliament by direct universal suffrage: opening statements by Domènec RUIZ DEVESA (S&D, ES), Rapporteur and by Vera JOUROVA, vicepresident of the European Commission

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Domenec RUIZ DEVESA, Rapporteur, Thank you very much, President. And thank you, Commissioner Jourova for being here. And thank you for the colleagues staying in the hemicycle. And my sincere thanks to my colleagues from the negotiating team.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Domenec RUIZ DEVESA, Rapporteur, This really was a group task five political groups, democratic pro European groups, the Liberals, Socialists, EPP, the Greens. Now this is going to plenary after ten months of intense work, tricky negotiations, and I believe that we have drafted something which is new and ambitious but balanced as well.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Domenec RUIZ DEVESA, Rapporteur, All the political groups had some of their main priorities reflected in it. So we're coming up with a solution to strengthen the principle of the lead candidate for the president of the Commission with a joint constituency, 28 extra seats the citizens can vote for national candidates and also those presented by European political parties. And the number one on that list would be a candidate for President of the Commission. So their second ballot paper will be the same across Europe.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Domenec RUIZ DEVESA, Rapporteur, The voter is thus newly empowered as well as choosing the members of Parliament. They can support a European political party, a common European programme and a candidate for the President of the European Commission, as happens in national parliamentary democracies. So there will be the same mechanism achieving three objectives.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Domenec RUIZ DEVESA, Rapporteur, The European Electoral Campaign will become more European. So we would have cross Europeans campaigns not just dealing with national issues. European political parties would become more visible and the lead candidate principle would actually become a reality rather than something virtual.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Domenec RUIZ DEVESA, Rapporteur, Now, the idea of a pan-European constituency was approved in 2015. There was a political agreement half way through the parliamentary term to move in this direction. We thought that this what we're proposing today reflects this mid term agreement. Now, we don't want to have a situation in 2024 where the lead candidate system is ignored. Hence, this reform is necessary.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Domenec RUIZ DEVESA, Rapporteur, Why is this proposal balanced? First of a first of all, in terms of numbers, we're leaving space for future enlargements. And two thirds of the list would be for small and medium sized countries. So we don't have seats occupied largely by the most populous countries. And then there's one incontrovertible fact, colleagues, amendments have been tabled, two separate votes have been requested, but no alternative to this proposal has been put forward.

SOUNDBITE (Spanish), Domenec RUIZ DEVESA, Rapporteur, And those who don't accept the status quo and understand that we need to move forward to make sure that the 2024 elections are really European ones. There is no alternative to this report apart from amendments which seek to distort or reduce the report. So I hope that we will all move towards a stronger European democracy, which is closer to the citizens by giving your support to this tomorrow. Thank you.

SOUNDBITE (English), Vera JOUROVA, vicepresident of the European Commission, The elections to the European Parliament are amongst the largest democratic exercises in the world, and reinforcing that democratic dimension is absolutely essential. Citizens are directly represented at union level in the European Parliament and every citizen has the right to participate in the democratic life of the Union. This is an important aspect of the legitimacy of the Union and its decision making process.

SOUNDBITE (English), Vera JOUROVA, vicepresident of the European Commission, Whilst the Commission has no direct, formal role to play in the special legislative procedure. The Treaties provide for the reform of the European Electoral Act fully recognises the importance of the Parliament's proposal for this reform and supports its overall objectives. I want to thank the rapporteur, Mr. Ruiz Devesa, for his work on the report and for the constructive spirit it reflects.

SOUNDBITE (English), Vera JOUROVA, vicepresident of the European Commission, As I have said before, the Commission stands ready to facilitate the process and to make available its legal and institutional expertise, research on electoral processes and insight into inter-institutional relations. The President highlighted in her political guidelines that improvements to the lead candidate system, as well as the issue of transnational lists, should be addressed in the context of the Conference on the Future of Europe.

SOUNDBITE (English), Vera JOUROVA, vicepresident of the European Commission, The Conference has considered many aspects of European democracy, including the electoral law and many of the issues that the Parliament's draft rases. The Commission looks forward to the final conclusions of the conference and stands ready to cooperate in the follow up. And I am ready to help advancing the negotiations on your proposal. Should you wish so. Thank you very much.