LIBERALIZING POLITICAL PARTICIPATIONTHROUGH LOW THRESHOLDS AND EASY VOTING

Șerban MARINESCU USR parliamentary advisor

2nd SCIENTIFIC ELECTORAL EXPERTS DEBATES EQUAL SUFFRAGE, 3-4 May 2018, Sinaia, Romania

1. WHY DO WE NEED TO LIBERALIZE POLITICAL PARTICIPATION?

2. HOW DOES USR PROPOSE TO DO THAT?

- Easy registration of candidates- Easy voting- Low thresholds - Better representation for diaspora

Number of signatures required for candidates in one constituency (parliamentary elections)

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

8000

Slovenia Croatia Ireland Germany Romania

Slovenia Croatia Ireland Germany Romania

Number of signatures required for candidates (european elections)

0

50000

100000

150000

200000

250000

Netherlands Finland Austria Germany Belgium Spain Romania

Netherlands Finland Austria Germany Belgium Spain Romania

Case study: Sinaia

Population:10.410(2011)

1%ofpopulation:104

Numberofsignaturesneeded:minimum500(5%)

High administrative barriers discourage political participation

Romanians living abroad

734748

3700000

0

500000

1000000

1500000

2000000

2500000

3000000

3500000

4000000

estimatedbyINS estimatedbyMAE

estimatedbyINS estimatedbyMAE

People not voting because the voting station is too far away from where they live – 18%

Young people not voting because the voting station is too far away from where they live – 30%

Participation in parliamentary elections

76 76

6558

39 41 39

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016

1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016

Legal thresholds in European countries

3 3 34 4 4

5 5 5

7

10

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

Spain Ukraine Greece Slovenia Norway Bulgaria CzechRepublic

Poland Romania Russia Turkey

Spain Ukraine Greece Slovenia Norway Bulgaria CzechRepublic Poland Romania Russia Turkey

Votes for candidates below the threshold

7323368

5911794

500000880000

0

1000000

2000000

3000000

4000000

5000000

6000000

7000000

8000000

parliamentary2016 EP2014

totalvoters lostvotes

7% 16%

High thresholds discourage political participation

Mayor of Bucharest - 13,7% of registered voters

1793263

595822

246553

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

1400000

1600000

1800000

2000000

totalvoters actualvoters Fireavoters

totalvoters actualvoters Fireavoters

Current representation of diaspora

310000734748

3700000

0

500000

1000000

1500000

2000000

2500000

3000000

3500000

4000000

formuladeducted estimatedbyINS estimatedbyMAE

formuladeducted estimatedbyINS estimatedbyMAE

2senators4deputies

• the ballot requirements are too high; • the postal vote is, in its current form, too complicated

and very restrictive as to who can vote; • the thresholds are way too high and this leads to

wasted votes; •Romanians who are living aboard are shockingly

underrepresented in Parliament;

Number of parties after liberalization

30

59

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

2012 2016

Proposed reduction of the number of signatures

current proposed

Parliamentary 1%* 182.751 0,5%** 36.060

Local 1%* - 0,5%** -

Presidential 200.000 0,5%** 57.765

European parliament 200.000100.000

0,5%**0,5%**

27.83327.833

100%

25%

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

1%* 0,5%**

1%*=onepercentoftotalvoters

0,5%**=halfprocent ofthenumberofvotersinthelastsimilarelection

Postal vote for everybody

734748

18284066

0

2000000

4000000

6000000

8000000

10000000

12000000

14000000

16000000

18000000

20000000

current proposed

Proposed reduction of thresholds

current proposed

Parliamentary 5% 3%

Local 5% natural threshold

European parliament 5% natural threshold

Proposed representation of diaspora

310000734748

3700000

0

500000

1000000

1500000

2000000

2500000

3000000

3500000

4000000

formuladeducted estimatedbyINS estimatedbyMAE

formuladeducted estimatedbyINS estimatedbyMAE

proposed:4senators10deputies

current:2senators4deputies

Romania does not have a stability problem.

Romania needs change through participation.

THANK YOU

Șerban MARINESCU USR parliamentary advisor

phone: 0723 218 650email: serban.marinescu@cdep.ro

2nd SCIENTIFIC ELECTORAL EXPERTS DEBATES EQUAL SUFFRAGE, 3-4 May 2018, Sinaia, Romania