Electoral legislation determining who has the right to vote, where and how should remain within the remit of national competence and not imposed by blanket EU legislation, MEP Marlene Mizzi said.

Speaking during a meeting of the Petition Committee, Ms Mizzi said that while she supported the principle of free movement, blanket electoral legislation might not suit all countries.

Petitioners from Spain, the UK and Germany were soliciting the Commission to initiate talks to allow citizens living permanently in other countries to be able to vote in the general elections in their country of origin and/or their country of residence.
They argued that the principle of free movement would be breached if they did not.

Ms Mizzi, however, argued that a one size fits all or a cut and paste legislation was not acceptable in this case.

“Electoral legislation determining who has the right to vote, where and how should remain within the remit of national competence and not imposed by blanket EU legislation. The impact of this legislation will be different on small countries than it is large countries with millions of citizens."

She noted that there were more Maltese living permanently abroad than in Malta. What was being proposed would give people living permanently away from Malta the right to decide how people living in Malta were governed.

She said those who had a right to vote, however, had to be given all the possible practical methods to exercise their right - including electronic voting, and voting in their country of residence - and the rights of the citizen and the principle of democracy should not be compromised in any way.