4€  11° année - n° 66 NOVEMBRE - DECEMBRE  2003
 

For a european resident citizenship
 
 

On the occasion of the European social Forum La Lettre de la Citoyenneté is publishing a special issue in five languages in order to support the action in favour of a "European citizenship" for all residents.

La Lettre de la Citoyenneté

In 1987 the left-wing council in Amiens allowed the city’s foreigners to elect four associated councillors to the town council.

The "Association de soutien à l’expression des communautés d’Amiens (ASECA)" was created in 1988 to support and make known this initiative. Its broard aim is to promote citizenschip and civic rights for foreign residents. To this effect, it has published since january 1993 La Lettre de la Citoyenneté which, every two months, reviews the situation of foreigners" political rights and their access to the nationality of the country in which they reside, both in Europe and the rest of the world.

Every year La Lettre de la Citoyenneté carries out a poll in France to assess public opinion on the subject : 57 % of those questioned were in favour of foreign residents right to vote in local an european elections in september 2003 against 28 % in april 1996. Another poll was carried out in the year 2000 by La Lettre in 15 countries of the European Union on the subject of the extension of the right to vote in european elections. La Lettre is now looking for european partners to renew this type of operation before the european elections in 2004.

The struggle for voting rights for foreigners in France

The struggle for voting rights for foreign residents, which began in the '80’s with the "j’y suis, j’y vote" slogan, was resumed a few years later by three groups which work in close conjunction with numerous political associations and organisations such as : "Même sol, mêmes droits = même voix" (same land, same rights = same vote) ; "Un(e) resident(e), une voix" (one resident, one vote) et "Pour une véritable citoyenneté européenne" (For a genuine european citizenschip". The main aim of these working groups was to obtain voting rights for local elections before the 2001 elections. The adoption on 3RD may 2000 by the National Assembly of a proposed bill on voting rights for foreign residents in local elections was rejected by one vote in the Senate and this in spite of the real will of the left-wing government to implement the project.

The situation in other european countries

In 1850 Neuchâtel in Switzerland set the example. Several other countries followed giving foreign residents the right to vote and be elected in local elections : Ireland in 1963, then Sweden, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands and more recently Finland. In the United Kingdom, Commonwealth citizens have the right to vote and be elected in all elections. Spain and Portugal allow foreign residents to vote on condition of a reciprocal agreement and there also exists in several cities in Germany, Austria, Belgium, Italy and Luxemburg consultative groups for foreign residents.

In 1992, the Maastricht treaty granted the right to vote and be elected in local and european elections to citizens of EU member countries only thus improving civic rights for a large number of foreigners but also creating new disparities. Ten years later only Luxemburg has extended the right to vote, but not be elected, to "non E.U. citizens" in local elections. In Belgium, a bill is also being drafted. Elsewhere, as in France, associaitons are working to extend the same rights to all foreign residents as those given to E.U. members. In addition, the European Council and the European Parliament have several times adopted a position in favour of the right to vote for all foreign residents.

A citizenship for all residents in Europe

Many associations consider that it is now necessary to correct the disparities brought about by the Maastricht treaty and grant the same rights to all foreign residents whatever their nationality and create a "European resident citizenship". This demand was presented to the Convention for the Europe but was not mentioned in the final draft submitted to member states. The action of militants for civic rights, immigrant associations and support groups must be pursued in all E.U. member countries.

For this reason La Lettre is actively participating in the petition for a European resident citizenship to be integrated into the E.U. constitution. On million signatures are needed.

Do not hesitate to contact us if you wish to help us in our action in favour of this EUROPEAN RESIDENT CITIZENSHIP