Telegraph | Expat | Spain snubs Expatriate EU residents in European referendum vote

Spain snubs Expatriate EU residents in European referendum vote

In a strange move by the Socialist Spanish government, European residents in Spain have been banned from voting in the European Referendum election. Such a decision, a first, comes in complete disregard of EU rules regarding it's citizen's rights within Union member states.

No information was given prior to referendum day on February 20th. European residents in Spain simply never received the election papers which are sent to registered voters in the days preceding an election. According to the association of EU expatriates in Spain, it appears to have been a governmental maneuver to avoid referendum defeat by an expatriate community, largely Brits, against a referendum which will inevitably limit sovereignty of participating states.

In any event it is ironic that the most European of EU citizens, are denied participation in a referendum for the European Constitution.