The Transformation of Citizenship in the European Union

The Transformation of Citizenship in the European Union
Author: Jo Shaw
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 418
Release: 2007-09-06
Genre: Law
ISBN: 1316450511

This book examines the electoral rights granted to those who do not have the nationality of the state in which they reside, within the European Union and its Member States. It looks at the rights of EU citizens to vote and stand in European Parliament elections and local elections wherever they live in the EU, and at cases where Member States of the Union also choose to grant electoral rights to other non-nationals from countries outside the EU. The EU's electoral rights are among the most important rights first granted to EU citizens by the EU Treaties in the 1990s. Putting these rights into their broader context, the book provides important insights into the development of the EU now that the Constitutional Treaty has been rejected in the referendums in France and the Netherlands, and into issues which are still sensitive for national sovereignty such as immigration, nationality and naturalization.

The right to free elections

The right to free elections
Author: Yannick Lécuyer
Publisher: Council of Europe
Total Pages: 138
Release: 2014-12-01
Genre: Law
ISBN: 9287180679

The right to free elections is one of the most difficult rights to define: while it is an objective and essential principle in any democratic society, it is also a fundamental personal right on which every citizen can rely. It is an individual right, but it is meaningful only as part of a collective process. That same right, in conjunction with the right to vote and the right to stand for election, needs to be practised in a democratic way which also brings into play many other rights and freedoms, before, during and after the election itself. It is also one of the most highly valued rights at the Council of Europe because it helps to promote the “true democracy” which underpins the Organisation, alongside the rule of law and the honouring of fundamental freedoms. This book examines the main Council of Europe legal texts and sources on this topic: conventions, resolutions, recommendations and guidelines, without forgetting the abundant case law of the European Court of Human Rights. It is a work for legal practitioners, students and, more generally, anyone interested in how Europe and democracy go hand in hand.

The Struggle for Female Suffrage in Europe

The Struggle for Female Suffrage in Europe
Author: Blanca Rodriguez Ruiz
Publisher: BRILL
Total Pages: 517
Release: 2012-06-07
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 9004224254

By comparing women’s access to suffrage in the countries that make up the European Union, i>The Struggle for Female Suffrage in Europe provides a retelling of the story of how citizenship was gradually coined in Europe from the perspective of women.

European Integration and Political Conflict

European Integration and Political Conflict
Author: Gary Marks
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 298
Release: 2004-02-12
Genre: History
ISBN: 9780521535052

In this 2004 volume, a formidable group of scholars investigate patterns of conflict that are arising in the European Union.

European Electoral Heritage

European Electoral Heritage
Author: European Commission for Democracy through Law
Publisher:
Total Pages: 80
Release: 2013
Genre: Election law
ISBN:

The Code of Good Practice in Electoral Matters, which was adopted by the Venice Commission in 2002, is the reference document of the Council of Europe in the electoral field. It defines in detail the standards of European electoral heritage: universal, equal, free, secret and direct suffrage, as well as the frequency of elections, including the framework conditions that are necessary for the organisation of proper elections, such as respect for human rights, particularly in the political field, the organisation of elections by an impartial body and an effective appeals system. This publication contains the reports presented at the seminar organised under the Albanian Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on the occasion of the 1Oth anniversary of the code. It focuses in particular on the main problems of electoral law and administration, including the composition and functioning of electoral administration, as well as the representation of women and minorities. It also refers to the importance of the code for the other Council of Europe bodies, including the European Court of Human Rights, when ensuring the right to free elections

Electoral Systems and Political Transformation in Post-Communist Europe

Electoral Systems and Political Transformation in Post-Communist Europe
Author: S. Birch
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 220
Release: 2003-11-25
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1403938768

Electoral Systems and Political Transformation in Post-Communist Europe assesses the influence of electoral systems on political change in 20 post-communist European states. The main finding is that electoral institutions have systematic effects on the formation of representative structures. 'Party-enabling' aspects of electoral laws such as list proportional representation tend to foster popular inclusion in politics and institutionalized party systems, whereas 'politician-enabling' rules such as single-member districts and ballots that allow voters to select individuals often favour the development of weakly structured systems and high levels of popular exclusion from the representative process.

Electoral Rights in Europe

Electoral Rights in Europe
Author: Helen Hardman
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 236
Release: 2017-06-26
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1315470470

From the perspective of a number of different social science disciplines, this book explores the ways in which the election of politicians can be made more fair and credible by adopting a human rights approach to elections. It discusses existing international standards for the conduct of elections and presents case studies relating to jurisdictions within Europe, especially those emerging from conflict or from an authoritarian past, which demonstrate how problems occur and can be addressed. Significant advances have been achieved through the Council of Europe’s soft and hard law frameworks but the book demonstrates that much more needs to be done to ensure that these and other standards are fully adhered to and developed. This collection offers a fresh examination of electoral rights and practices – and their impact on the quality of democracy – by superimposing a human rights perspective on existing election theories derived from the literatures of law, political science and international relations. This text will be of key interest to scholars, students and practitioners of electoral democracy and human rights, as well as those working in the areas of comparative politics and European politics.

Radical Right Parties in Central and Eastern Europe

Radical Right Parties in Central and Eastern Europe
Author: Bartek Pytlas
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 261
Release: 2015-10-16
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1317495861

In Central and Eastern Europe, radical right actors significantly impact public debates and mainstream policy agenda. But despite this high discursive influence, the electoral fortune of radical right parties in the region is much less stable. It has been suggested that this may be due to the fact that mainstream competitors increasingly co-opt issues which are fundamental for the radical right. However, the extent to which such tactics play a role in radical right electoral success and failure is still a subject for debate. This book is the first to provide a systematic theoretical framework and in-depth empirical research on the interaction between discursive influence, party competition and the electoral fortune of radical right parties in Central and Eastern Europe. It argues that in order to fully explain the impact of mainstream party strategies in this regard, it is vital to widen the analysis beyond competition over issues themselves, and towards their various legitimizing narratives and frame ownership. Up-to-date debates over policies of collective identity (minority, morality and nationalizing politics) in Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia serve as best cases to observe these under-researched phenomena. The analytical model is evaluated comparatively using original, primary data combined with election studies and expert surveys. Advancing an innovative, fine-grained approach on the mechanisms and effects of party competition between radical right and mainstream parties, this book will be of interest to students and scholars researching the far right and European party politics, as well as political contestation and framing.

The Routledge Handbook of Local Elections and Voting in Europe

The Routledge Handbook of Local Elections and Voting in Europe
Author: Adam Gendźwiłł
Publisher:
Total Pages:
Release: 2022
Genre: Local elections
ISBN: 9781032194882

"The Routledge Handbook of Local Elections and Voting in Europe represents the standard reference text and practical resource for everybody who analyses issues as local electoral systems, voting behavior or political representation in Europe. It provides comprehensive and expert coverage of 40 European countries - organized along the respective local state traditions - and in addressing a wide range of important questions related to local elections and voting, broadens the scope of existing analyses quantitatively as well as qualitatively. Finally, it affords a more theoretically grounded typology of local elections and voting. Each country chapter is written by a leading expert and follows a rigorous conceptual framework for cross-national comparisons, providing an overview of the local government system, details on the place of local elections within the multi-level political system, specific features of the electoral system, analysis of the main electoral outcomes in the recent decades and finally reflective discussion. Representative democracy is as widespread at the local as at the national level, and as the significance of local authorities in Europe increased in the recent decades, local elections represent a crucial area of study. The Routledge Handbook of Local Elections and Voting in Europe is an authoritative and essential reference text for scholars and students interested in local electoral politics, and more broadly European studies, public administration and political science"--