Activities of Helmut SCHOLZ related to 2020/2220(INL)
Plenary speeches (1)
Election of the Members of the European Parliament by direct universal suffrage (debate)
Amendments (39)
Amendment 1 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 1
Citation 1
— having regard to the Declaration of 9 May 1950 that proposed the creation of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) as a first step in the federation of Europe,
Amendment 3 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 8
Citation 8
— having regard to its resolutionport of 6 November 2020 on stocktaking of European elections7 , __________________ 7 Texts adopted, P9_TA(2020)0327.
Amendment 7 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 13 a (new)
Citation 13 a (new)
— having regard to the European Pillar of Social Rights, and in particular its principle 1,
Amendment 8 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 13 b (new)
Citation 13 b (new)
— having regard to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and in particular Article 25 thereof,
Amendment 9 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 13 c (new)
Citation 13 c (new)
— having regard to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), and in particular Article 29 thereof,
Amendment 10 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 13 d (new)
Citation 13 d (new)
— having regard to the European Economic and Social Committee's information report of March 2019 on the reality of the right to vote in European elections for people with disabilities1a, __________________ 1a https://www.eesc.europa.eu/fr/our- work/opinions-information- reports/information-reports/la-realite-du- droit-de-vote-aux-elections-europeennes- pour-les-personnes-handicapees-rapport- dinformation
Amendment 11 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 13 e (new)
Citation 13 e (new)
— having regard to the work of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) on gender equality, in particular its action plan for gender-sensitive parliaments,
Amendment 12 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 13 f (new)
Citation 13 f (new)
— having regard to the State of the Union 2021 speech in which Ursula von der Leyen announces that the year 2022 will be the year of youth,
Amendment 13 #
Motion for a resolution
Citation 13 g (new)
Citation 13 g (new)
— having regard to the Commission's proposal for the European Year of Youth 2022,
Amendment 17 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
Recital A
A. whereas since 1976, when the European Electoral Act paved the way for the election of the representatives of the European Parliament by direct universal suffrage for the first time, the EP has continuously requested the reform of EU electoral law and moves towards a more a genuinedemocratic, uniform and European electoral procedure;
Amendment 18 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas the Lisbon Treaty has offered a positive step forward by confirming the right of the EP to initiate a proposal on the Electoral Act as well as on its composition;
Amendment 21 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas other important changes in the Lisbon Treaty concerned in particular the wording of Article 14 TEU, stating that the Parliament is to be composed of representatives of the citizens of the Union and not peoples of the Member States, as well as the reference to the Parliament’s role in the election of the President of the European Commission, who should be elected taking into account the results of the EP elections;
Amendment 26 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
Da. whereas Article 17(7) of the Treaty on European Union gives the European Council the final say in the election of the President of the European Commission; whereas, according to this article, the European Council is merely obliged to take account of the elections to the European Parliament, and there was therefore no reason to expect the informal Spitzenkandidaten process to be respected either in 2014 or in 2019 ; whereas, in order to link the European elections genuinely to the choice of the President of the European Commission, the reform of electoral law is a first step; whereas a change in the Treaties is necessary to anchor this democratic measure in practice;
Amendment 36 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
Recital G
G. whereas the turnout registered in the 2019 European elections was the highest of any elections to the European Parliament in the last 20 years; whereas the participation rate hides wide disparities between Member States; whereas increased turnout is a positive signal shows that citizens of the Union are taking an increasing interest in the development of the European integration, as indicated also by the results of the special Eurobarometer of 9 March 2021; whereas, moreover, this rate still means that only half of the citizens took part; whereas only 18% of those polled indicated that they thought that their vote could "change things"; whereas, therefore, the increase in participation cannot be the only criterion to be observed; whereas the ballot also reflects dissatisfaction on the part of a section of the population with regard to the construction of the European Union, European democracy or EU current policies ;
Amendment 40 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)
Recital G a (new)
Ga. whereas polls can influence the choice of citizens at the time of voting; whereas their over-mediatisation can be an obstacle to the personal and free nature of the vote; whereas many Member States limit the publication of polls to between two days and two weeks before the vote, precisely in order to guarantee the democratic freedom of the vote, without external injunctions and pressures ;
Amendment 41 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
Recital H
H. whereas the trend of a growing voter turnout can be maintained if the connection and accountability between voters and candidates are strengthened and the EU-wide dimension is fostered; whereas the long-awaited creation of an independent ethics body, common to all the European institutions, will also help strengthen European democracy, its transparency and the fight against conflicts of interest;
Amendment 44 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital I
Recital I
I. whereas a functioning electoral system builds trust and support among the population and increases the confidence of citizens of the Union in their capacity to change society democratically by voting; whereas confidence can also be strengthened by additional democratic tools such as the ECI or the use of referendums on European issues and the respect of popular decisions;
Amendment 51 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital K
Recital K
K. whereas growing political momentum and changing conditions among the Member States could offer the possibility of finally introducing into election procedures stronger elements and provisions that highlight the European dimension of the elections;
Amendment 55 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital M
Recital M
M. whereas the reform of the European Parliament's electoral procedure should aim to enhance the democratic and transnational public debate and dimension of the European elections and the democratic legitimacy of the Union decision-making process, reinforce the concept of citizenship ofin the Union, improve the functioning of the European Parliament and the governance of the Union, make the work of the European Parliament more legitimate, and legislative by giving it genuine right of initiative, strengthen the principles of electoral equality and equal opportunities, especially between women and men, enhance the effectiveness of the system for conducting European elections, and bring Members of the European Parliament closer to their voters, and in particular the youngest amongst them;
Amendment 74 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital Q
Recital Q
Q. whereas the procedure for nominating candidates for elections to the European Parliament varies considerably from Member State to Member State and from party to party, in particular as regards transparency and democratic standards: whereas, however, open, transparent and democratic procedures for the selection of candidates are essential for building trust in the political system; whereas internal democracy is defined by parties, party members and citizens, according to national laws and ideological histories;
Amendment 82 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital T
Recital T
T. whereas the establishment of a joint constituency in which lists are headed by each political family’s candidate for the post of President of the Commission would greatly, in addition to current system, would strengthen European democracy and further legitimise the election of the President of the Commission and its accountability;
Amendment 89 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital V
Recital V
V. whereas many barriers to the rpeople with disabilities want to vote at a polling station ; whereas in 12 Member States national rules do not make it possible to switch from the polling station assigned on the basis of place of residence to another which is more suitable in the light tof a vote for persons with disabilities, especially legal barriers for adults with intellectual disabilities declared legally incapacitated should be removed, guaranteeing physical and sensory accessibility in polling stations as well as alternativer's disability; whereas, lastly, Article 29 of the UNCRPD explicitly stipulates that the States Parties undertake to ensure that persons with disabilities can effectively and fully participate in political and public life on an equal basis with others; whereas any barriers to the right to vote and stand as candidate for persons with disabilities, especially legal barriers for adults with disabilities declared legally incapacitated should be removed, guaranteeing accessibility throughout the election process should be ensured, including by providing additional participation systems to exercise the right to vote, in particular through postal voting;
Amendment 109 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital X a (new)
Recital X a (new)
Xa. whereas in her State of the Union speech, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, announced that 2022 will be the year of youth; whereas in its proposal to make 2022 the European Year of Youth, the Commission wishes young people “to become active and engaged citizens as well as actors of change”; whereas in order to achieve this, young people must be given their rightful place in the electorate;
Amendment 118 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Reminds that at their informal meeting on 23 February 2018, the Heads of State and Government decided to continue the reflection, as well as the technical, legal and political work, in order to make it possible to set up transnational lists for the European elections in 2024;
Amendment 119 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Believes that European and national political parties and movements should play a more central role in the European elections process and should become clearly visible for voters;
Amendment 125 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. ObserveReminds that diverging electoral cultures have resulted in a range of different electoral systems; considers therefore that common minimum standards are needed, in order to ensure approximation towards a unified European electoral law andin the European electoral law can promote a genuine public European debate and ensure equality of the vote for citizens of the Union, including as regards: the right to register a party and to stand for elections; access to ballots; the fielding of candidates; accessibility of voting; or what happens on the day of the elections;
Amendment 140 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Considers gender equality to be a key horizontal element for improving the quality of EU democracy and enhancing a European public space; calls on Member States to apply this principle and the provisions contained in the Parliament’s proposal in the attached legislative act in a comprehensive way, in accordance with their own competences; calls for the introduction of lists of candidates with an equal number of male and female candidates for the electable places, for example through the use of zipped lists or other equivalent methods, since, in many Member States, there is no legislation that ensures political gender parity in elections; considers that the preferential vote should provide an even number of female and male candidates, alternating according to gender;
Amendment 221 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Recalls that the minimum age for eligibility to stand as a candidate across the 27 Member States varies between 18 and 25 and the minimum age for eligibility to vote varies between 16 to 18; calls for the introduction of a single, harmonised age for passive and active voting rights across Member States and recommends them to introduce the minimum age of voting rights at 16 as a way to ensure real voting equality and to avoid discrimination in the most fundamental area of citizenship, namely the right to participate in the democratic process; is of the opinion that giving the right to vote at the age of 16 would reflect current rights and duties European youth already have in Member States, for instance paying taxes or having sexual majority;
Amendment 242 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
Paragraph 23
23. Considers it essential to facilitate access to voting in European elections and to guarantee that all those who have the right to vote, including, if they are granted such a right in accordance with national laws, citizens of the Union living outside their country of origin, people experiencing homeless peopleness and prisoners, are able to exercise this right; calls on Member States to improve access to polling stations and the right to vote for persons with disabilities by allowing for instance the renting of adapted premises when public structures are not adapted;
Amendment 245 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 a (new)
Paragraph 23 a (new)
23a. Calls on Member States to grant the right to vote and stand as candidate to all persons with disabilities, regardless of their legal capacity; suggests to introduce measures to maximise accessibility of the elections for citizens with disabilities covering, among others and where appropriate, voting information and registration, polling stations, voting booths and devices and ballot papers; recommends to implement appropriate arrangements tailored to their national voting procedures to facilitate the vote of citizens with disabilities such as the possibility to choose polling station, closed polling stations in key locations, and the use of assistive technologies, formats and techniques like Braille, large print, audio- based information, tactile stencils, easy to read information and sign language communication; calls on Member States to allow persons with disabilities assistance in voting through a person of their own choice, where necessary and at their request;
Amendment 248 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 b (new)
Paragraph 23 b (new)
23b. Calls on the Member States to improve their laws in order to make it easier for people experiencing homelessness to vote; emphasises that insisting that people provide proof of address in order to vote, as laid down in Directive 93/109/EC, can serve to exclude people experiencing homelessness in those countries where they cannot obtain an administrative address; urges that the requirement to provide proof of address be done away with, in order to make it easier for people experiencing homelessness, who are full EU citizens, to vote;
Amendment 249 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23 c (new)
Paragraph 23 c (new)
23c. Takes the view that the best way to ensure that all citizens can take part in elections is to guarantee inclusion and thus to put an end to homelessness; calls on the Commission to adopt as a matter of urgency an EU action plan to put an end to homelessness by 2030, to be implemented at national level by the Member States as part of their efforts to combat homelessness; notes, further, that the Commission's guidelines on combating the phenomenon of homelessness date from 2013 (and have still not been translated into the 23 Union languages);
Amendment 257 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 25
Paragraph 25
25. Believes that the introduction of postal voting is needed for voters who are unable to go to the polling stations on election day, and that this could make the conduct of European elections more efficient and more appealing for voters in specific or exceptional circumstances; calls on Members States to consider the possible introduction of complementary enhancing tools such as electronic or internet voting, in accordance with their own national traditions, and with appropriate safeguards;
Amendment 268 #
Motion for a resolution
Annex to the motion for a resolution – Recital 3
Annex to the motion for a resolution – Recital 3
(3) The Treaty of Lisbon has not only conferred on the European Parliament the power of initiative regarding the provisions on the election of its members, but has also changed the nature of the mandate of the members of the European Parliament, making them direct representatives of the citizens of the Union instead of “representatives of the peoples of the States brought together in the Community". These constitute. This constitutes fundamental changes that should be reflected in a modernised European electoral law by inserting new elements that aim to enhance democratic legitimacy and to more accurately reflect the breadth of the role and competences of the European Parliament.
Amendment 305 #
Motion for a resolution
Annex to the motion for a resolution – Recital 9
Annex to the motion for a resolution – Recital 9
(9) A European Electoral Authority should be established for the management of the Union-wide constituency and its transnational lists. Such a European Electoral Authority would be essential for coordinating information on the European elections and monitoring the implementation of the common standards of the European electoral law, by ensuring an efficient exchange of information and best practices between national bodies. In addition.
Amendment 311 #
Motion for a resolution
Annex to the motion for a resolution – Recital 10
Annex to the motion for a resolution – Recital 10
(10) In order to encourage voter participation in elections to the European Parliament, Member States should provide for advance and postal voting. To fully take advantage of the possibilities offered by technological developments, Member States could also permit electronic and internet voting, while ensuring the reliability of the result, the secrecy of the vote and the protection of personal data, in accordance with applicable Union law, as well as the accessibility for persons with disabilities and for all citizens. Member States are also encouraged to develop other tools for citizen participation, such as the inclusion of blank ballots or citizen consultations between elections.
Amendment 399 #
Motion for a resolution
Annex to the motion for a resolution – Article 5
Annex to the motion for a resolution – Article 5
Member States shall ensure that all citizens of the Union, including those living or working in a third country and those who are experiencing homelessness or who are serving a prison sentence in the EU, are entitled to and are able to exercise their right to vote in elections to the European Parliament, and, with regard to those citizens serving a prison sentence, without prejudice to national law or court decisions handed down in accordance with national law.
Amendment 408 #
Motion for a resolution
Annex to the motion for a resolution – Article 7
Annex to the motion for a resolution – Article 7
Member States shall ensure physical and sensory access to polling stations for all citizens, in particular for persons with disabilitiesaccess on an equal basis to polling stations, voting procedures facilities, information, and other materials for all citizens, including for people experiencing homelessness or persons with disabilities. Based on their national voting systems, Member States shall provide appropriate arrangements aiming at facilitating the exercise of the right to vote by persons with disabilities independently and in secret or where necessary at their request, assistance in voting by a person of their own choice and without any restriction.
Amendment 422 #
Motion for a resolution
Annex to the motion for a resolution – Article 8 – paragraph 2
Annex to the motion for a resolution – Article 8 – paragraph 2
2. Member States may provide additional possibilities of voting by way of electronic and internet systems, without prejudice to the possibility of proxy voting as allowed by applicable national provisions at the time of the entry into force of this Regulation. In the event of electronic, internet, and proxy voting, Member States shall adopt all necessary measures to ensure the reliability and the secrecy of the vote, and the protection of personal data in accordance with applicable Union law.