(AGENPARL) – lun 13 febbraio 2023 [Image]
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[Ref. CG002(2023)]
Repeat elections in Berlin: The Congress delegation welcomes an orderly Election Day, but calls for clarification of the distribution of responsibilities between the main actors in local and regional elections
“Yesterday’s repeat elections constituted an important step contributing to secure citizens’ trust in the act of voting in Berlin,” stated the Head of delegation Vladimir Prebilic (Slovenia, SOC/G/PD) at a press briefing today in Berlin. Overall, the delegation observed a calm and orderly Election Day, without major incidents or anomalies. “The situation that led to a number of irregularities in the September 2021 elections does not seem to have affected the confidence of the people of Berlin, as evidenced by the good turnout,” underlined the Head of delegation highlighting the significant efforts made to conduct these elections.
However, the preliminary conclusions call for clarification of the distribution of responsibilities between the main actors in local and regional elections in Berlin. In addition, improvements could be made in particular concerning the ballot boxes so that they are sealed in a unified way to secure the votes, and by using transparent ballot boxes. The conditions for sending voting material to polling station presidents could be improved, as the current system imposes an excessive burden and may pose a risk to the integrity of electoral material. The Congress delegation also recommends uniform and standardized procedures in all constituencies concerning the organisation of the administration of the vote, as well as strengthening the competences of the regional level, in order to improve quality and efficiency. Finally, additional guarantees could be provided during the pre-electoral period, in particular concerning the financing of campaigns and parties, and it would be wise to introduce regulations for observers in order to clarify the modalities of their mission on election day.
The observation mission was carried out following an invitation by the Election Officer for the Land Berlin, Mr Stephan Bröchler. Prior to Election Day, the Congress delegation held online briefings on 2 February 2023, with representatives of regional and district election administration bodies, domestic and international NGOs and the media, as well as with members of the Delegation of Germany to the Congress. Further, on 11 February, the delegation conducted exchanges with representatives of political parties in person in Berlin.
Congress of Local and Regional Authorities
Institutional Communication Unit
The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities is an institution of the Council of Europe, responsible for strengthening local and regional democracy in its 46 member states. Composed of two chambers – the Chamber of Local Authorities and the Chamber of Regions – and three committees, it brings together 612 elected officials representing more than 130 000 local and regional authorities.
President of the Congress: Leendert Verbeek (Netherlands, SOC/G/PD), President of the Chamber of Local Authorities: Bernd Vöhringer (Germany, EPP/CCE), President of the Chamber of Regions: Harald Sonderegger (Austria, EPP/CCE).
Political groups: Group of Socialists, Greens and Progressive Democrats (SOC/G/PD), Group of the European Peoples Party (EPP/CCE), Independent Liberal and Democratic Group (ILDG), European Conservatives and Reformists Group (ECR).
Council of Europe/Conseil de l’Europe, Avenue de l’Europe, Strasbourg, . 67000 France