(02 June 2020) – The UK and Poland have signed a treaty that secures the right of British and Polish citizens to stand and vote in local elections in each other’s countries following the UK’s exit from the EU.
The treaty signed in Warsaw on 29 May makes Poland the fourth EU country to sign a voting rights treaty with the UK, following treaties signed with Spain, Portugal and Luxembourg last year.
After the UK left the EU in January, the voting rights of EU nationals in the UK and their UK counterparts across Europe was left unclear. The London government is seeking bilateral agreements with the EU-27 on the voting rights of EU nationals in the UK and their UK counterparts in the EU, and the result is likely to be a patchwork of different national regimes.
The same is also currently true for Europeans living in the UK. The franchise for general elections and referendums in the UK is limited to citizens of the UK, Ireland and Commonwealth countries, while existing UK law gives EU nationals the right to vote in the London mayoral and assembly elections. (EurActiv)