For the over 700 Italians residing in England a mass exodus to Italy is looming to vote in the next and imminent European elections. Why deprived of the possibility of being able to vote there. Their fault? None. AND' another of the consequences – hitherto virtually silent – of Brexit, whether hard or soft.
A premise. Postal voting does not apply to the European elections: eligible Italian voters residing in the countries of the European Union both permanently and for work or study reasons can vote, but by going to the appropriate polling stations set up on the spot by the Italian diplomatic-consular network.
And here's the thing. With the referendum in 2016, Great Britain decided to leave the European Union and therefore: if there is no postponement with respect to the March 29 deadline, at the time of the European elections set between May 23 and 26 Great Britain is in fact a non-EU country.
And this entails that for the first time since 1979 the United Kingdom will not participate in the continental vote precisely as a result of that referendum. And automatically, our fellow citizens living across the Channel will not be able to vote – since England will not be involved in the elections – unless they undertake a trip to our Peninsula.
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To remedy this situation - which could also have a negative effect, discouraging our compatriots from voting - it is possible - asked three deputies of the Democratic Party, Massimo Ungaro, Angela Schirò and Nicola Carè, addressing the Foreign Minister with a question - "to adopt initiatives to provide for transitional forms of setting up polling stations" in that country to "allow and encourage participation in the vote by Italians residing in Great Britain"?
It should be added that with Great Britain's exit from the EU, 27 seats will be redistributed and although the total number of European parliamentarians will drop - based on a decision by the European council of 28 June last - from the current 751 to 705, the number of Italians to be elected to the European Parliament will go from 73 to 76, therefore 3 more. And therefore the vote of our compatriots abroad acquires greater weight.
But at the moment there is no solution on the horizon to the problem of our fellow citizens in England. The government admits it, in the guise of undersecretary for foreign affairs Riccardo Antonio Merlo: “Italian voters residing in non-EU countries can currently vote only in Italy. On the basis of current legislation, no initiatives to adopt transitional forms of setting up polling stations for non-European Union countries, such as Great Britain, are foreseen – says Merlo in answer to the question of the three parliamentarians of the Democratic Party. But – he adds – the Farnesina is obviously available to implement any regulatory changes to the law in force, based on the decisions that they want to be taken in parliament”.
But it's hard to imagine that between now and May, Parliament will be able to pass a law that allows our fellow citizens in Great Britain to vote on the spot. This is also what happens to Italians residing in Switzerland: there are almost 300 and the rule that, if they want to vote for the European elections, must come to Italy applies to them too – and not as of now. And so far there has been no domestic regulatory intervention to change their situation. What if, on the other hand, Brexit were extended by a few months, beyond the European elections, and England then participated in the votes only to subsequently exit the EU? This is another chapter, no less complicated.
