ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENTA. Rights relating to municipal electionsIn its resolutions on the draft directive on rights relating to municipal elections, Parliament endeavoured to keep to a minimum the permitted exceptions to the rule of equal treatment with nationals regarding the right to vote and to stand as a candidateB. Elections to the European ParliamentIn several resolutions, Parliament had expressed its regret that it only had the right to be consulted, and had no power of codecision, concerning the legal acts to be adopted pursuant to Article 19(2) of the EC Treaty. This situation has not changed. However, the Lisbon Treaty would provide for the possibility to adopt a "uniform procedure in all Member States or a procedure in accordance with principles common to all Member States", after having been approved by the Member States in accordance with their respective constitutional requirements (Article 223 TFEU, as amended).Moreover, Parliament has long called for a uniform system for elections to the European Parliament, to take the place of the national electoral laws for such elections (*1.3.4.).
A. Rights relating to municipal elections
In its resolutions on the draft directive on rights relating to municipal elections, Parliament endeavoured to keep to a minimum the permitted exceptions to the rule of equal treatment with nationals regarding the right to vote and to stand as a candidate
B. Elections to the European Parliament
In several resolutions, Parliament had expressed its regret that it only had the right to be consulted, and had no power of codecision, concerning the legal acts to be adopted pursuant to Article 19(2) of the EC Treaty. This situation has not changed. However, the Lisbon Treaty would provide for the possibility to adopt a "uniform procedure in all Member States or a procedure in accordance with principles common to all Member States", after having been approved by the Member States in accordance with their respective constitutional requirements (Article 223 TFEU, as amended).
Moreover, Parliament has long called for a uniform system for elections to the European Parliament, to take the place of the national electoral laws for such elections (*1.3.4.).
This (slightly cryptic) pronouncement from the European Parliament would seem to imply that
What would be needed in the future is:
Having elections on a single day would also be good, but does not address the same issue.
In terms of pressure, the European Parliament should be be very sensitive about the voting experience of expat Europeans (model European citizens, if anything). But their power is currently limited, as you noted. It should still be possible to start doing something together with the upcoming Swedish Presidency of the Council.
