Against the stealing of our votes!

MEP Manuela Ripa (ÖDP) and ÖDP Chairwoman Charlotte Schmid sign open protest letter against percentage hurdle in European elections

(Strasbourg/12.06.2023) At the end of May, the Bundestag debated the EU bill to introduce a two percent blocking clause for elections to the European Parliament for the first time. The primary aim of this is to force small parties out of parliament, even though they received more than three million votes in the last election in Germany. Manuela Ripa, MEP of the Ecological Democratic Party (ÖDP), whose party received more votes in the 2019 election than Luxembourg has eligible voters, has co-signed an open letter to the German Bundestag opposing the undemocratic plan. In addition to MPs from other smaller parties, the ÖDP's federal chairwoman Charlotte Schmid has also co-signed the letter.

The politicians are resisting the planned, serious encroachment on the principles of electoral law and equal opportunities for political parties. "Throughout Europe, we are seeing anti-democratic tendencies becoming more and more widespread. As one crisis follows the next, our government should be standing up for us citizens. Instead, they are working to ensure that we lose our votes," the letter reads.

The authors also reject the accusation that a lack of a blocking clause would restrict the European Parliament's ability to work and function. After all, around 200 parties from 27 countries are represented in the Parliament. And almost all MEPs from the smaller parties are members of a political group and do good and constructive work there.

Manuela Ripa refers in particular to the ruling of the Federal Constitutional Court from 2014. "The Federal Constitutional Court has already clearly stated in two rulings that a blocking clause in European elections is unconstitutional. Among other things, it violates the equal opportunities of the parties. The BVerfG has also clearly refuted the bogus argument that the percentage hurdle is intended to prevent a fragmentation of the parliament. The EU Parliament does not have to form a government. A blocking clause is not justified. A percentage threshold remains undemocratic, as it distorts the will of the voters. This is because the blocking clause would give the larger parties seats which, according to the election results, are intended for smaller parties. Democracy means diversity of opinion, democracy means that you can cast your vote. But democracy also means that the vote you cast counts and is represented in parliament. This is prevented by the reintroduction of the unconstitutional blocking clause," said the ÖDP MEP.

Click here for the letter.