http://www.newropeans-magazine.org/index.php?option=com_content <http://www.newropeans-magazine.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&i d=5616&Itemid=121> &task=view&id=5616&Itemid=121 Elections for the European Parliament: Bringing EU closer to citizens or only to politicians? Written by Todor Arpad Monday, 23 April 2007 On 13 May 2007 Romania will elect its members for the European Parliament - One of the most important political opportunities related to Romania's accession to European Union is the task of organising the elections for choosing Romania's future European Parliament representatives.
This would not only allow Romania to have legitimate representatives in the European Parliament, but the electoral campaign could also be a great possibility to trigger some important debates about the meaning, obligations and possibilities of Romanians as European citizens. Nevertheless, a serious debate on the topic is also dependent on the type of electoral system employed. In this stance, and as a part of its effort to foster the reform of the Romanian electoral laws, Asociatia Pro Democratia (APD) has proposed a system of organising elections with constituencies represented by the eight development regions and with the possibility for preferential vote. This proposal was backed by the argument that most of the large European countries hold elections at the regional level, and that such a system would increase the quality of the debate, allowing the electorate to have a better view on both the candidates and the problems they would confront as members of the European Parliament. Instead, the Romanian political class has again opted for the procedure that would imply the least effort to obtain the citizens' vote. Although initially there were signs that some of the proposals forwarded by APD would be implemented, in the end, most of the parliamentary parties opted for the most effortless option available, a national constituency with a blocked list of candidates. Thus, instead of bringing EU closer to citizens, the first elections for the European Parliament will focus on several opinion leaders that will concentrate on the internal political debate. Todor Arpad Asociatia Pro Democratia, Romania Copyright 2000 - 2005 Miro International Pty Ltd. ---------------------------- Vali "Noble blood is an accident of fortune; noble actions are the chief mark of greatness." (Carlo Goldoni) "When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace." (Jimi Hendrix)
