Language barriers, registration processes, including early deadlines and bureaucracy, are closely intertwined obstacles to political participation of EU mobile citizens. That was the main conclusion of the workshop "Involving EU Mobile Citizens in Local Policy Making" that was organized by the Hadjihambis Foundation in Erimi – Limassol (Cyprus).
Partners from Spain, Greece, Cyprus, Romania, Portugal and Hungary gathered in Erimi on 23 October 2024, and discussed about initiatives and goals aiming to enhance the engagement of mobile citizens across Europe in local elections.
The workshop started with presentations by the partners who presented facts and figures on the involvement of EU citizens in local and regional policymaking.
Dr. Christina Ionella Neokleous opened the event and welcomed all the participants. She briefly explained the history of the "Argo" Cultural Center in which the event was held, which started about 100 years ago as a grocery store and was renovated by Panikos Hadjihambis, Mayor of Erimi for 18 years.
Turning to the topic of the meeting, she presented the establishment of the European Parliament, its importance and role, while underlining the importance of voting for the European citizens, stating that "by voting, our voice is heard and we decide for our future”. She underlined that out of 93,540 EU citizens in Cyprus only 11,166 of them are registered to vote with main countries of origin being Greece 7,147 Bulgaria 2,017 and Romania 1,963.
Then the representative of the Provincial Organization of Limassol Self-Government, Mr. Grigoris Panagiotou and the representative of the Municipality of Kourion, Ms. Valentina Michael, explained the work of their organizations and the importance of citizens' participation in local policymaking.
“As a Greek who lived in Cyprus for several years, I know first-hand the opportunities and challenges of being a mobile European citizen” noted Ms. Phedra Sarikakis. She shared experiences from EU citizens living in Cyprus adding that “the ability to live, work, and study anywhere in the EU has been game-changing for EU people”. She underlined that “after the 2024 European Parliament elections, it’s crucial for those of us living outside our home countries to understand what is at stake — and, importantly, how much our vote matters”.
Ms. María Martinez Puig from Mancomunitat de la Ribera Baixa (Spain) in her presentation noted that: "Europe starts with active and engaged citizens in their local communities". According to her, the participation of EU citizens in the municipal elections ranged between 20% and 30%. However, the participation of European voters was lower, as many were not automatically registered voters.
On behalf of the municipality of Kallithea (Greece), Ms. Aikaterini Papaspyrou, director of financial services of the Municipality of Kallithea, presented the procedures and the difficulties European citizens face when they choose to participate in the municipal and European elections in Greece. Ms. Papaspyrou underlined the difficulties of language and bureaucratic procedures and mentioned a series of proposals that could improve conditions and allow greater participation of those citizens
Mr. António Silva Catarino, from EducPro (Portugal) recognized as the main reason for lower participation of EU citizens living in Spain that they are unaware of their voting rights. This is especially common among new comers. As main challenges he pointed electoral information and processes that are primarily conducted in Portuguese, that EU citizens are not automatically registered to vote and that citizens are disconnected from local politics. For the 2019 European Parliament elections, around 17,000 non-Portuguese EU citizens registered to vote across Portugal.
Ms. Ionela Stoian and Mr. Mihai Calota from the UNCJR (Romania) highlighted complex procedures in Romania "Most EU countries do not consistently provide voting guides and documents in languages other than the national language, which limits the access of mobile citizens who wish to vote”. “The implementation of online voting is a growing necessity to facilitate access to the electoral process, especially for mobile citizens and diaspora" they concluded.
Ms. Katalin Kolin-Sabján from TOOSZ (Hungary) focused on the challenge to increase participation: Lack of awareness about voting rights, Language barriers in accessing information, bureaucracy, unfamiliarity with the Hungarian political landscape. She also showcased best practices from different Hungarian municipalities aiming to increase EU mobile citizens engagement.
The second part of the event included open discussion and a practical workshop where the participants were divided into four mixed groups and created posters inviting EU mobile citizens to take part in the local elections.
Mr. Andreas Neokleous, member of the Board of the Panikos Hadjihambis Foundation, closed the event with a reference to the importance and values of the Maastricht Treaty and urged the new generations to work for a united Europe which will guarantee peace and security on the European continent.
After the closing of the meeting, the participants had the opportunity to enjoy a tour of the village of Erimi and the archaeological site of Kourion. The meeting closed in the excellent Gazebo Mare venue with dinner accompanied by music and dancing by local bands.
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