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UK rejects call for EU countries to vote on same day | UK rejects call for EU countries to vote on same day |
(7 months later) | |
The UK government has rejected calls for a common voting day for European parliament elections – insisting Britain will stick to its tradition of polling on Thursdays. | The UK government has rejected calls for a common voting day for European parliament elections – insisting Britain will stick to its tradition of polling on Thursdays. |
The European commission recommended a single voting day as a gesture of EU solidarity, and to boost embarrassingly low voter turnout in the euro-elections. | The European commission recommended a single voting day as a gesture of EU solidarity, and to boost embarrassingly low voter turnout in the euro-elections. |
If adopted, the odds are that the single voting day would be a Sunday, already the most common polling day across Europe. | If adopted, the odds are that the single voting day would be a Sunday, already the most common polling day across Europe. |
But the Europe minister David Lidington rejected the idea as soon as it was formally tabled on Tuesday, declaring: "There is a rich electoral history across Europe and we don't want to see this diversity undermined by mandating a one-size-fits-all approach to elections day. | But the Europe minister David Lidington rejected the idea as soon as it was formally tabled on Tuesday, declaring: "There is a rich electoral history across Europe and we don't want to see this diversity undermined by mandating a one-size-fits-all approach to elections day. |
"The UK holds elections on Thursdays and we will carry on holding elections on Thursday." | "The UK holds elections on Thursdays and we will carry on holding elections on Thursday." |
The EU justice commissioner Viviane Reding unveiled the plan to MEPs as being better than the current system under which euro-elections span four days of voting across the 27 countries. | The EU justice commissioner Viviane Reding unveiled the plan to MEPs as being better than the current system under which euro-elections span four days of voting across the 27 countries. |
"Member states should agree on a common day for the European elections, with polling stations closing at the same time. Having one day would make clear that European elections are a common endeavour and would better reflect common participation by citizens across the union, as part of the representative democracy on which the EU is founded," she said. | "Member states should agree on a common day for the European elections, with polling stations closing at the same time. Having one day would make clear that European elections are a common endeavour and would better reflect common participation by citizens across the union, as part of the representative democracy on which the EU is founded," she said. |
She referred to a new EU survey showing that three-fifths of voters (62%) think that a single voting day would boost turnout. | She referred to a new EU survey showing that three-fifths of voters (62%) think that a single voting day would boost turnout. |
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