Clarify?

Submitted by J.S. (Canada), Nov 15, 2006 at 20:45

What do you mean by the term "foreigners?" Both Canada and the U.S. have a large Italian ex-pat community (many have dual citizenship -- or they carry two passports -- one from Italy, the other from the States or Canada). And Italy has just recently (as I understand it) allowed these ex-pats (that's Italian citizens living abroad) the right to vote in elections in Italy.

In fact, it was the vote from an Italian living in the United States that caused the fall of Berlusconi (ironically, Berlusconi was an ally of the U.S.). But this is not due to the EU (it's Italy that's changed the rules for who can or cannot vote.) Interestingly, the UK has tightened its laws with regard to allowing British ex-pats the right to vote in UK elections -- according to one report, less than 2 percent of British ex-pats can vote (the UK has time limits with respect to how long you can live outside the UK and still be eligible to vote in a UK election).

Also, if you're a citizen of European country X, but you live outside that country, but still within the EU, then the EU allows this person to vote at the *municipal* level (that's for city mayors, etc.); thus a Brit living and working in Madrid could vote in a municipal election in Madrid.

The real problem, as I see it, is with this dual citizenship. I'm not in favor of it.

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".