Dear Readers,
Although the heatwave was raging in Brussels, it did not slow the team down. June has been a particularly busy and productive month for the ECIT Foundation, defined by high-level legal mobilization and deep policy analysis.
Following our formal submission of the “All On Board” ECI to the European Commission last month, we spent June fortifying our advocacy networks and increasing our outreach to build up a network of Youth Task Forces, to prepare for the official ECI launch in autumn.
At the same time, our campaign to fight voter disenfranchisement reached a major milestone on 26 June at the Press Club Brussels, where we gathered leading legal and civil society minds to coordinate a multi-front challenge against the silencing of mobile Europeans. In this edition, we break down the outcomes of this exchange, map out our next legal steps, and provide an analytical critique of the EU’s new Council Directive on mobile voting.
26 June Disenfranchisement Event: Mobilizing Against the “Democratic Void”
On 26 June, ECIT brought together legal experts, voting rights advocates, and affected citizens at the Press Club Brussels Europe (and online) for a crucial panel moderated by ECIT Co-Founder Suzana Carp. Timed deliberately in the run-up to the Irish Presidency of the Council of the EU, the debate focused on a singular objective: ending the deprivation of voting rights for mobile EU citizens.
The panel dissected the systemic failure of the current regime from several distinct angles:
- The Constitutional Mandate: Dr. Ruvi Ziegler (New Europeans UK) opened by grounding the debate in Article 10(3) of the Treaties: “Every citizen shall have the right to participate in the democratic life of the Union.” He noted that while the principle of equal treatment is clear on paper, its implementation remains deeply fragmented.
- The External Reality: Giulia Gentile (Essex Law School) provided a poignant perspective on de facto exclusion, sharing her personal experience as an Italian citizen in the UK who was functionally deprived of her voting rights in the 2024 European elections due to bureaucratic barriers.
- The Restrictive Irish Context: Emma DeSouza (Voting Rights Ireland) exposed the severe limitations of Ireland’s electoral framework, which uniquely penalizes Irish citizens living just across the border in Northern Ireland by stripping them of both national and European political representation.
- The Funding Crisis: ECIT’s Tony Venables closed by reminding the room that the defense of basic voting rights remains one of the most critically underfunded sectors in European civil society.
We want to thank the many participants who shared their personal testimonies during the open floor. A comprehensive event report will be published on our website shortly.
Next Steps: Upgrading Our Complaint to the Commission
Backed by extensive pro-bono support from Latham & Watkins, we are actively expanding our formal letter of complaint to the European Commission. Our legal team is weaving in new arguments derived from recent European Court of Justice (ECJ) case law, which sets demanding compliance standards for member states regarding the fundamental status of EU citizenship.
Our strategic roadmap is twofold:
- The Commission Front: Accumulate targeted signatures from affected citizens to force a formal administrative response from the Commission.
- The National Front: Explore strategic litigation within national courts to trigger preliminary references directly to the ECJ.
The complaint officially targets the eight member states that disenfranchise their overseas nationals either by explicit law or restrictive practice in European elections: Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Malta, and Slovakia. As Suzana Carp noted during the panel, this is a growing structural crisis. In a Union built on freedom of movement, choosing to study or work abroad should never act as an automatic trigger for political censorship.
👉 Sign the Formal Complaint Letter HERE
ECI Update: Laying the Groundwork for Autumn
As we await the European Commission’s formal registration decision on the “All On Board” proposal, our operational focus has shifted to strategic readiness.
On the digital front, we are steadily building out our communication channels and website architecture, to strengthen our visibility and outreach to a pan-European audience.
On the structural front, as the European Commission is expected to meet towards the end of July, we are planning to hold our first “All On Board” Planning Lab during the same period, either on 22 or 23 July. This session will bring together our core partners, with the goal of exchanging views, gathering input, and collaboratively shaping the next stages of the strategy. If you are interested in participating, please send us an email (info@ecit-foundation.eu) so we can keep you informed and share further details once the date is confirmed.
👉 Want to help shape the campaign? Our “All On Board” ECI seeks to democratize EU citizenship by demanding framework legislation that guarantees everyone (not just a privileged minority) the right to European civic education, inclusive mobility exchange programs, and the equal cross-border recognition of qualifications. We are actively looking to expand our coalition before the autumn push. If your organization, student group, or civic network wants to join us at the Planning Lab and collaborate on the upcoming signature drive, please reach out directly to our team at info@ecit-foundation.eu.
Policy Analysis: A New Deal for Mobile Voters, or a Halfway Measure?
At the end of May, the Council of the European Union adopted Directive 2026/1194, aimed at reinforcing the voting rights of mobile EU citizens in municipal elections. Throughout June, the ECIT research team conducted a thorough legal analysis of the text.
The directive introduces genuine structural progress at the local level by shifting the administrative burden from the individual to the state. It enforces three vital changes: requiring member states to provide proactive, multilingual voter information; guaranteeing equal voting methods (such as advanced or postal voting); and reinforcing administrative safeguards against arbitrary exclusion.
Our Takeaway: While ECIT welcomes this local-level progress, the directive stops short of true political inclusion. By ignoring European Parliament elections (where an estimated 10 million mobile citizens remain disenfranchised) the EU is fixing the plumbing while the foundation is cracked. As long as millions are barred from the Union’s definitive democratic exercise, the commitment to equal EU citizenship remains unfulfilled.
👉 Read our Full Article HERE.
Save the Dates: Key Upcoming ECIT Events
ECIT has two important upcoming dates for your calendar:
31 August: We are pleased to announce the revival of the ECIT Summer University. This year, it will take form of a one-day event. More details will be shared soon.
3 December: The ECIT Annual Conference will take place on this date. We look forward to sharing more information about the programme and participatiion opportunities in the coming months.
Fuel the Movement: Support Our Work
ECIT punches far above its weight because we operate with a lean, highly targeted team. We don’t just write reports: We draft formal legal complaints, build cross-border coalitions, and train the next generation of European advocates. To scale our impact and expand our operational reach ahead of a critical autumn, we need your financial backing.
- For Individuals: Citizen-backed funding is what keeps our campaigns agile. Please consider supporting us through a small donation via PayPal. All contributions go straight toward equipping our regional Youth Task Forces with the tools, travel resources, and materials they need to launch the “All On Board” signature drive on the ground.
- For Funding Organisations: We are currently seeking strategic partners to co-fund our upcoming EU Disenfranchisement Report. If protecting the voting rights of mobile citizens aligns with your foundation’s portfolio, reach out to us at info@ecit-foundation.eu to review our project frameworks and explore collaborative opportunities.
Every euro directly expands our capacity to protect the rights of mobile Europeans. Thank you for standing with us.
Yours sincerely,
The ECIT Team