Maltese MEP and former Prime Minister Alfred Sant told the European Parliament that members of the European Parliament should be directly elected by citizens and not through their position on party lists, whether national or least of all, transnational.
DrSant made this intervention during a debate on the Composition of the European Parliament at the Plenary in Strasbourg.The European Parliament voted in favour of a motion which states that the European Parliament should shrink from 751 to 705 MEPs when the UK leaves the EU, whilst leaving room for possible new countries joining in the future.
Sant voted in favour of the EP proposal on the allocation of seats, which does not entail any losses of seats for the member States, while at the same time reducing the size of Parliament. However, Dr Sant voted against the creation of a transnational list.
The report was approved with 431 votes in favour, 182 against, with 61 abstentions.A proposal by the Constitutional Affairs Committee calling for a number of MEPs to be elected from an EU-wide electoral constituency, was rejected by the majority of the MEPs.
“The proposal to create new transnational constituencies will continue to dislocate perceptions about the European Parliament away from the daily concerns of citizens, especially in smaller member states. Being asked to vote for people they do not know or care about, on party lists that cross country borders will sound like a gimmick. Chosen by Political Groups, these MEPs will only be accountable to their Party Leader, generating a greater distance between voters and elected MEPs.
This distance can probably only be eliminated if members of this House are directly elected, and not through their position on party lists, whether national or least of all, transnational, remarked the Maltese MEP.
The Maltese MEP said that in making adjustments to the seats arrangements in this Parliament, one should ask whether European citizens will feel more committed to this Parliament?
“At present, they are not. This Parliament and its members project too distant an image among our constituents. Participation in the last three elections dropped to close to 43 per cent.”
Sant said that given Brexit and the openings for EU enlargement, the proposal to maintain the national entitlements for seats is the right thing.
The European Parliament's proposal will now go to the European Council that will adopt a draft decision and will then be asked to give its consent to the draft decision of the Council.