Pan-European electoral lists were first endorsed by the PES in 2017, when member parties adopted a resolution committing the party to “support the proposal of electing a part of the Members of the new European Parliament through European lists of candidates, presented by the different [European] political parties”.
PES president Sergei Stanishev said:
“As progressives, we are committed to improving the transparency and democratic accountability of that Parliament, as well as fostering a stronger European dimension in European elections.
“As 73 seats in the European Parliament are vacated by outgoing UK MEPs, this offers an ideal opportunity to discuss how best to implement electoral lists that transcend national borders — a measure that might start to shift the debate in election campaigns away from national topics and towards genuinely European issues.”
