TFL Vsebine / Revija Javna uprava

V svojem prispevku avtor obravnava širitev volilne pravice na lokalnih volitvah. V tem okviru najprej obravnava pomen in naravo lokalnih volitev kot bistvene prvine lokalne demokracije. Pravica prebivalcev lokalne skupnosti, da volijo organe upravljanja te skupnosti in da so voljeni vanje, je prav gotovo v središču sodobnega razumevanja lokalne demokracije. Volilna pravica pri lokalnih volitvah je bila v preteklosti vezana na državljane, izjema pa so bile dokaj redke. Po drugi svetovni vojni pa se je začel proces širitve te pravice na tuje državljane, pri čemer sta imela najpomembnejši delež Svet Evrope in Evropska unija. Prvi je v posebni konvenciji razširil pravico voliti (aktivno volilno pravico) na vse tujce, Evropska unija pa je na podlagi Pogodb in Listine o temeljnih pravicah zagotovila tako pravico voliti (aktivno volilno pravico) kot tudi pravico biti izvoljen (pasivno volilno pravico) na občinskih volitvah vsem državljanom Evropske unije.

In his article the author discusses the extension of the right to vote and to be elected in al local election. In this framework the author first deals with the significance and nature of local election as an essential element of local democracy. The right of the people living in local communities to vote local authorities and to be elected for local offices is certainly the core of modern understanding of local democracy. The right to vote and to be elected traditionally belonged only to the citizens and the exceptions were rare. Nevertheless, after the World War II the process of extending this right on the foreign citizens began and the crucial role in this process was played by the Council of Europe and the European Union. The first one in a special convention extended the right to vote to all foreigners while the Union on the basis of the Treaties and the Charter of fundamental rights guarantees that every citizen of the Union has the right to vote and to stand as a candidate at municipal elections in the member states.