By Brian Johnson - 10th June 2009
The blockades and barriers of purely national campaigns must be overcome. We need truly European parliamentary elections
Jo Leinen
Transnational EU-wide candidate lists would help combat the decline in voter turnout and lessen the popularity of fringe and extremist groups, according to veteran MEP Jo Leinen.
The German Socialist deputy wants to see pan-European candidates alongside national candidates, European commission president nominees from each European political party agreed ahead of the elections and a set of European-wide minimum standards for party candidate lists all put in place before the next elections in 2014.
Leinen, chairman of the constitutional affairs committee in the previous parliament, also called for the creation of a convention similar to the one created to develop the now defunct European constitution, to meet and come forward with proposals on Europe's electoral system.
The convention would be made up of representatives from the European parliament, national parliaments, governments and the European commission.
"The European elections can no longer continue this way," said Leinen, adding that a "new concept" for the elections was needed.
"The blockades and barriers of purely national campaigns must be overcome. We need truly European parliamentary elections," he said.
Leinen backed plans, currently being finalised by ALDE deputy Andrew Duff, to have transnational European lists of candidates selected from the main European political parties to run alongside lists of candidates from the national political parties.
Only when the EU's "political families" can campaign under a European mandate will there be a "truly European debate, more European publicity and higher attraction of the EU elections", said Leinen.
The issue of whether voters should be allowed to decide on candidates from European political groupings as well as national parties has been heightened by the success of fringe and extremist groups in Sunday's elections.
The Daily Telegraph reported on Monday that centre-right EPP group chairman Joseph Daul has hinted that he will consider changes to the electoral system to combat the effect of purely national issues, such as the MPs expenses scandal currently rocking UK politics.
"Perhaps we need to rethink electoral systems… the turnout at each election seems to be strengthening extremism," he said.
Daul's comments came despite an overall victory for the EPP group on Sunday.
ALDE group leader Graham Watson also brought up the issue during Sunday evening's live Europe-wide debate on the election results.
Watson said the crux of the problem was that "once again we have 27 individual election campaigns" and suggested the introduction of a partially pan-European electoral system.
"I would have a percentage of members of the parliament, maybe 10 per cent elected on such a system," he said.
Partly colleague Duff is looking to return to his electoral reform proposals when parliament reconvenes in July.
"The key item in the postponed reform package is the creation of a single transnational constituency from which a small number of MEPs would be elected," said Duff.
Meanwhile Leinen argues that the constant decline in voter turnout and the filling of the political vacuum with populist and anti EU parties has heightened the need for "fundamental changes" for the next elections in 2014.
"After the summer recess the European parliament needs to start with the necessary preparations."
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