Alfred Sant jivvota kontra proposti għal regoli ġodda tal-elezzjonijiet Ewropej

L-eks Prim Ministru u l-Kap tad-Delegazzjoni tal-Partit Laburista fil-Grupp Soċjalista u Demokratiku (S&D) Alfred Sant enfasizza li l-isfidi li qed jaffaċċjaw il-Membri tal-Parlament Ewropew ma jikkonċernawx l-“Ewropizzazzjoni” tal-elezzjoni tagħhom, iżda kif jagħmlu x-xogħol tagħhom aktar rilevanti fl-iqsar żmien possibli biex jisimgħu t-tħassib taċ-ċittadini komuni.

Huwa wissa li r-riżoluzzjoni dwar Liġi Elettorali Ewropea ġdida li qed tiġi vvutata mill-Parlament Ewropew kienet eżempju tipiku ta’ għaġġla, forsi intenzjonata sew, biex jissewwew l-affarijiet meta ma jitkissrux.

Ir-riżoluzzjoni dwar sistema ġdida għall-elezzjonijiet għall-Parlament Ewropew inkludiet proposta biex tinħoloq kostitwenza elettorali Ewropea. Kull votant ikollu żewġ voti: wieħed biex jeleġġi l-Membri Parlamentari Ewropej f’kostitwenzi nazzjonali, u ieħor f’kostitwenza transnazzjonali, li minnhom ikun hemm 28. Proposti oħra jinkludu li d-9 ta’ Mejju ssir bħala l-ġurnata komuni tal-votazzjoni Ewropea; id-dritt għall-Ewropej kollha ta’ 18-il sena jew aktar li joħorġu għall-elezzjoni; u aġenzija elettorali Ewropea.

L-Ewroparlamentari Laburista Sant irrimarka li l-proposta li jinħolqu listi transnazzjonali hija kostruzzjoni artifiċjali li l-votanti komuni se jsibuha diffiċli biex jifhmu. Huwa kritika d-dettalji ta’ kif kien qed jiġi propost li jitwaqqfu kostitwenzi transnazzjonali, li suppost saru biex iserrħu moħħ Stati Membri iżgħar u ddeskriviehom bħala grotteski u enfasizza li dawn jirriflettu s-sindromu ta’ dak li jifforma parti ċentrali minn Brussell. Dwar il-proposta li tinħoloq aġenzija elettorali Ewropea ġdida, sostna li dan se jwassal biss għal duplikazzjoni bla sens tar-rwoli peress li l-aġenzija Ewropea xorta waħda jkollha tistrieħ fuq informazzjoni tal-votanti miżmuma fil-livell nazzjonali.

Sant ma qabilx ukoll mal-proposta li xi darba jkun stabbilit dritt madwar l-Unjoni Ewropea għall-vot u dwar il-proposta li jkun hemm il-kandidat tal-partit politiku bl-akbar ammont ta’ Membri Parlamentari Ewropej li jkun konformi għall-Presidenza tal-Kummissjoni Ewropea.

Ir-rapport ta’ inizjattiva leġiżlattiva ġie adottat bi 323 vot favur, 262 kontra, u 48 astensjoni.

---

Alfred Sant votes against proposals for new European election rules

Former Prime Minister and Head of the Labour Party Delegation at the Socialist and Democratic Group (S&D) Alfred Sant emphasized that the challenges facing Members of the European Parliament do not concern the “Europeanization” of their election, but how to make their work understood as immediately relevant to their concerns by “ordinary” citizens. He warned that the resolution on a new European Electoral Law being voted by the European Parliament was a typical instance of a rush, perhaps well intentioned, to mend things when they are not broken. 

The resolution on a new system for elections to the European Parliament included a proposal to create a European electoral constituency. Each voter would have two votes: one to elect MEPs in national constituencies, and one in a transnational constituency, of which there would be 28. Other proposals include making 9 May as the common European voting day; the right to stand for election for all Europeans of 18 years or older; and a European electoral agency.

 Labour MEP Sant pointed out that the proposal to create transnational lists is an artificial construct that ordinary voters will find difficult to understand. He lambasted the details of how it was being proposed to set up transnational constituencies, supposedly to reassure smaller Member States as grotesque and emphasized that these reflect the syndrome of the Brussels bubble. On the proposal to create a new European electoral agency, he argued that this will only make for a meaningless duplication of roles since the European agency would anyway have to rely on nationally held voter information.

Sant also disagreed with the proposal to have one day established right throughout the European Union for voting and on the proposal to have the candidate of the political party with most MEPs to be in line for the Presidency of the European Commission. 

The legislative initiative report was adopted by 323 votes in favour, 262 against, and 48 abstentions.