Local Enfranchisement Of Non-Citizen Residents: The European Context

Transnational migration flow and its impact have become a major concern of nation-states and the international community in the era of globalization.Due to accelerating integration with each other and the world,European countries are faced with growing populations of immigrants.Measures have been taken by states to help immigrants integrate into the host society and to protect immigrants' economic and basic social rights.Besides guaranteeing immigrants the opportunity of a decent life,states still feel pressured to answer immigrants' increasing demand for political rights.EU citizenship allows citizens from other member states the right to vote and to stand in local and municipal elections in countries other than their own.However,some EU states also extend electoral rights to residents from non-EU countries.Overall,European states vary in the degree of political inclusion of non-citizen residents,and have a preference for enfranchising immigrant groups from EU states.The thesis combines an in-depth case study of discriminatory non-citizen enfranchisement practices that depend on nationality,with a normative analysis that frames the issue in terms of more universal standards of local citizenship.Scholars have tried to identify factors that influence states' practices of non-citizen suffrage.In this paper,a comparative analysis of Germany's,the UK's,and Ireland's non-citizen suffrage practices is used to determine the various domestic factors states consider when granting immigrants local voting rights.It finds that which groups are enfranchised depends upon a state's perception of political community—its boundaries,its position in relation to the rest of the world,and its layers of governance.Germany limits its enfranchisement to EU citizens because of its historical obsession with bloodline and its Europe-oriented foreign policy.The UK's long history as an international hub and an uncertain national identity with regional self-assertiveness impelled it to grant electoral rights to Commonwealth and Irish citizens,and later to EU citizens as the EU rules required.Ireland enfranchises all non-citizen residents,regardless of nationality.Ireland's political inclusiveness at the local level developed along with Irish nationalism as a response to exclusion under former British rule.Despite domestic democratic factors,transnational forces also play a role in promoting immigrant rights.The thesis examines four transnational groupings that involve European countries,namely:the Commonwealth,European Union,Nordic Passport Union,and Council of Europe.The Commonwealth,EU and Nordic Passport Union established reciprocal mutual enfranchisement among member states to foster group solidarity.The Council of Europe initiated a convention that grants local citizens electoral rights,regardless of nationality.Both interstate reciprocity and human rights norms have a large impact on states' practice of non-citizen enfranchisement.Being a member of these transnational groupings has positive impact on forming a more inclusive definition of "political community".Opinions are divided on whether local enfranchisement of non-citizen residents is desirable and justifiable.Proponents argue that immigrants should have a say in political decisions that affect them daily in profound ways.They believe enfranchisement could foster non-citizens' willingness to be naturalized and to take part in other aspects of local life.However,opponents state that enfranchisement will cheapen citizenship and that foreign influence may disrupt domestic power relations.The thesis summarizes these arguments and tries to legitimize non-citizen enfranchisement.It not only argues for its positive effects through an instrumental approach,but also identifies normative reasons to grant residents local voting rights.It draws upon democratic principles,such as the principle of affected interest,to point out the divided nature of national citizenship.By comparing local,national,and global spheres of citizenship,it shows the logic of local citizenship allows every individual who resides in a local community to have the right to decide its fate.In contrast to current discriminatory practices of non-citizen enfranchisement,the normative argument holds that regardless of nationality,non-citizen residents should be granted local electoral rights.Therefore,the thesis argues that granting non-citizen residents the right to vote in local elections is not only a beneficial choice,but also the right thing to do,and that this concept should not be contingent on national circumstances or transnational treaties.Non-citizen residents might not be citizens of the nation;however,by being residents of the locality,they are members of the local community.Thus,all non-citizen residents,whatever their origins,should have the right to vote and stand as candidates in local elections.