European debate on voting age
A number of members of the European Parliament are willing to grant 16-year-olds voting rights. The voting age is a national matter but several European politicians and groups of the European Parliament have made up their minds:
The Greens - The European Free Alliance (EFA)
The European Free Alliance broadly supports lowering of the voting age to 16. The increase of the electoral participation is a necessity and any measure contributing to it should be envisaged.
José Luis Linazasoro, Deputy Secretary General, EFA
The Independence/Democracy Group
My group has no joint attitude towards voting age. I have personally participated in campaigns to lower the age limit – and would like to lower it to 16 as soon as possible, both at national elections and European elections.
Jens-Peter Bonde, Co-president, Independence/Democracy Group
Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE)
It is not something that has been formally considered in the European Parliament so the ALDE group has never had to take a position. However the Liberal and Democrat group leader, Graham Watson, believes such a proposal has a lot of merit by involving young people in politics and giving them a stake and responsibility in society.
Neil Corlett, Spokesperson, ALDE
Union for Europe of the Nations (UEN)
The UEN Group has no joint attitude but my own party believes that there has to be a connection between the full age (18 years) and the right to vote. EU is a vast and almost impossible area to get an overall view of and therefore it is probably sensible to have a certain age to be able to embrace it.
Mogens Camre, member of the European Parliament, Danish People’s Party, member of the UEN Group
- If young people are granted voting rights they will become more responsible and feel like participating in the democracy.
- More young people have to vote to avoid a democratic imbalance as the population of Europe is getting older and older.
- Young people have to pay taxes, they can get married and sent off to war. Therefore they should also have influence on how politicians are controlling their lives.
- Some of the countries in Europe have succeeded in granting voting rights to 16-year-olds and therefore other countries ought to follow suit.
- Young people at the age of 16 are not mature enough to vote. They will be too impressionable by the media, friends and parents. According to some opinion polls young people are themselves against lowering the voting rights.
- Young people do not know enough about the EU, politics and social conditions to be able to vote.
- The voting rights are a great responsibility. Young people should be allowed to be young without having to be made responsible as grown-ups.