The Council of the European Union (EU) this Monday finally approved the schedule of European elections for the period June 6-9, 2024, despite Portugal criticizing the date and announcing an increase in mobility voting.
In a statement, the Swedish Presidency of the EU indicates that “The Council confirmed this Monday that the next elections to the European Parliament will take place from 6 to 9 June 2024.”
Explaining that “the dates have been confirmed following an exchange of views in the preparatory bodies of the Council”, namely at ambassadorial level, the Swedish Presidency adds that “these are the dates applicable in accordance with the EU Electoral Law, which determines that elections to the European Parliament take place every five years, from Thursday to Sunday, usually in the first full week of June.
Now EU member states, in accordance with their respective legal and constitutional frameworks, must decide on a date between 6 and 9 June 2024 when the vote will take place in their country.
The position comes after Member States at a meeting of ambassadors to the EU last Wednesday decided to set a period from 6 to 9 June 2024 for review by the European Assembly, despite Portugal’s objection on a predetermined date. .
On that day, Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa expressed concern over the decision, which was contrary to Portugal’s position, adding that Portugal would step up the vote for mobility, and Tiago Antunes, Secretary of State for European Affairs, defended changes to the regime that determines the dates of European elections.
European sources told Lusa that only national authorities can decide on exceptions such as early voting or others such as mobile phone voting.
Due to the lack of consensus on an alternative date between 6 and 9 June 2024, Member States then chose this pre-determined date based on a proposal by Sweden, the Presidency of the Council of the EU.
Other options were considered, such as the end of May, but none of the proposed dates received the necessary unanimity among the 27 people.
June 10 is a national holiday celebrating the Day of Portugal, Camões and Portuguese Communities, and June 13 is a public holiday in Lisbon, so the Portuguese government fears a low turnout and tries unsuccessfully to change the date.
The last two European elections, in 2019 and 2014, were held at the end of May, after 27 member states agreed to change the original election date.
In recent times, the only time European elections have been held “glued” to public holidays was in 1994: they were held on Sunday 12 June, with Portugal Day the previous Friday and Saint Anthony’s Day in Lisbon the following Monday.
The procedure for determining the dates for elections to the European Parliament was established by the Elections Act 1976, which provides that the Council, acting unanimously and after consultation with the European Parliament, fixes the electoral period.
This period is based on the first general vote held from June 7 to 10, 1979, and since then elections have been held in the corresponding or alternate period between Thursday and Sunday.
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
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