In the upcoming European election, there will be no possibility for voters to elect a European party on a European list. Already on 9 June 2023, i.e. one year before the European Election of 2024, the deadline had passed to make changes to the electoral law. And also in yesterday’s meeting of the General Affairs Council, the discussion among the Ministers for European Affairs of the EU Member States ended inconclusively. This means that the introduction of transnational lists will probably be possible for the 2029 elections at the earliest. A central demand of the citizens at the Conference on the Future of Europe will thus not be implemented for the next election. They had called for “Union-wide electoral lists with candidates from different EU states”. This legislative proposal was also adopted by the European Parliament on 3 May 2022. The introduction of transnational lists fails due to the unwillingness of several Member States to seriously consider the proposals of the citizens and of the Parliament.

Daniel Freund, head of the Green delegation to the Conference on the Future of Europe, comments:

“Transnational lists are the fastest way to massively improve European democracy. It would have been quite possible to introduce them already for the upcoming European elections in 2024. They fail because of the inability and unwillingness of the EU Member States to take the wishes of European citizens for a real European election seriously. It may now take years before an agreement is reached. This is a huge disappointment and stands in stark contrast to pro-European lip service paid by numerous European heads of state and government. The European Parliament will keep up the pressure so that transnational lists for the 2029 European elections finally become a European reality.”

Public debate of the General Affairs Council of 27 June 2023: https://video.consilium.europa.eu/event/en/26953 

Besides Germany and France, Slovenia, Croatia and Romania had also shown openness for transnational lists in an EU-wide constituency, but others only expressed reservations.

My comment on the EP decision for transnational lists on 3 May 2022: https://danielfreund.eu/ep-votes-for-transnational-lists/?lang=en 

including answers to the most frequently asked questions on transnational lists