A referendum in Luxembourg on Sunday overwhelmingly rejected giving full voting rights to foreigners.
Foreigners, particularly Portuguese, comprise almost half of the country´s tiny population of half a million.
Nearly 78% of Luxembourgers voted against letting foreigners participate in the voting process.
Had the vote been positive, Luxembourg would have been the first European Union country to extend the vote to foreign-born residents. At the same time, however, Prime Minister Xavier Bettel said “there is no other European country where only 40% of the population elects its representatives.”
About 46% of the total population of 565,000 people are foreigners. Portuguese people make up 16.4%, followed by French 7%, Italians 3.5%, Belgians 3.3% and Germans 2.3%.
Amongst the Non-European residents are people from Cape Verde, north America and China.
Mr Bettel had pushed for the referendum, hoping a yes outcome would boost the democratic credentials of the wealthy nation. But the nation was divided on the issue.
One voter pointed to an easy solution. More foreigners could be given citizenship.
Former PM and now president of the European Parliament Jean Claude Junker’s Christian Social People’s party had called not surprisingly for a “No” vote, while the business community and civil society groups backed the “Yes” campaign.
Comments
The result there was 10 percent majority to remain part of the Uk.
Perhaps the result would have been alltogether different with stacking the political bent in your favour like Luxembourg.
Then being freed years later by the blood, sweat and tears of the New Anglo-Saxons. Having done nothing to help itself.
An interesting time lies ahead for Juncker when dealing with Greece. Having said he is a 'friend of sorts' of Tsipras and in also having the classic gene of the camel trader that is needed to haggle with them - the EU will be looking for results.