After looking at the EU for the disabled and ageing (7 December 2010) we move to the web page with factsheets for EU citizens. The second one is:
Promoting your EU electoral rights
On two A4 pages the Commission describes potential problems, offers a light touch description of basic electoral rights and publicizes its proposals to improve the situation.
As in the previous leaflet, the Commission does not offer any references to the facts and views expressed.
In this case the main source seems to be the EP election report COM(2010) 605, a document lacking vision and ambition, in my view.
The first two factsheets have been light on facts. They have highlighted Commission actions, without offering leads to more detailed materials.
Although I am all for placing the citizens at the centre of the European Union – even impatient - at this stage I am wondering if these brochures have a well defined target group and a useful purpose – but there are eight more to go.
Ralf Grahn
P.S. The Italian journalist Marco Zatterin runs an active and expert blog called Straneuropa at LaStampa.it. Recommended reading.
Wednesday, 8 December 2010
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Targeted at 9 year olds they are weirdly patronising. And in one or two ways questionable. EG
ReplyDeleteSome Member States require ationals of other Member States to fulfil additional conditions that are not allowed by EU law to vote in European Parliament and municipal elections (such as holding a national identity card issued by the Member State of residence).
Well if it is the law that as a guest you hold a national ID card, then to attempt to vote without one would mean that you were in breech of local ID law. If you cannot even bother to comply with that, why the hell should you be voting in their local/European elections. Cripes in the end even I managed to get myself a Belgian ID card,
I take your point about them C- if you ask me.
Gawain,
ReplyDeleteThey have labeled the leaflets as factsheets, but actually they seem to care more for giving publicity to the good deeds of the Commission than to offering real facts in a form suitable for the general public.
Since I have seen umpteen factsheets produced by EU, national and and other public entities, it is quite possible to produce fairly objective and informative leaflets, if the will is there.