Voting in Strasbourg ‘a lottery’

Date: 17/10/02

By Martin Banks

NEW research on MEPs' voting patterns has led to fresh calls for an end to the European Parliament's split-site arrangement.

Swedish member Jonas Sjostedt has carried out a study comparing voting patterns between Strasbourg, the official seat of the Parliament, and Brussels, which hosts mini-plenary sessions and where the main work of the MEPs' committees takes place.

Sjostedt said that his research has shown that many members fail to get to Strasbourg to vote on the first day of each session because of poor travel links to the French city. He added: 'This has serious implications for the work of the institution and often results in votes that do not reflect the assembly's political composition.

Voting in the parliament more closely resembles a lottery than a democratically elected institution.'

The European United Left/Nordic Green Left group member also questioned the legality of 4-5 of decisions which he claimed were not in accordance with the quorum rules.

'Although such votes often concern non-binding parliamentary resolutions, such illegality must have serious consequences for the Parliament's democratic function,' he added.

Sjostedt recommends reform of the voting procedure and the introduction of a 'pairing' system.

David Harley, spokesman for the Parliament, said: 'This is a very good piece of research, [but]

Parliament's voting procedures are very complex and it deals with more legislation in one week than most parliaments do in six months.'

Jonathan Evans, leader of the UK Conservative MEPs, said it was obvious that Parliament should have one seat - Brussels: 'Strasbourg is expensive, bureaucratic and should go.'

New research on MEPs' voting patterns has led to fresh calls for an end to the European Parliament's split-site arrangement.