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Monitors in the EU Parliament are advertising the European elections in June

Photo: Jean-Francois Badias/dpa

There is criticism in parties and churches of the upcoming meeting of the Federal Election Committee. According to the European Elections Act, the committee must decide on the admission of applicants exactly 72 days before the EU elections. This year it is Good Friday.

The representative of the Council of the Evangelical Church of Germany at the Federation, Anne Gidion, said she regretted that the committee was obliged to meet on one of the most important Christian holidays. "It would be better if the European election law allowed exceptions for public holidays on this point." The "Alliance C - Christians for Germany" had already called for the law to be changed in January so that the meeting could be moved to the working day before Good Friday.

The proposal is now also supported by the SPD, FDP and the German Bishops' Conference. “There is nothing wrong with examining whether the law can be made more flexible on this point for future European elections,” said Sandra Bubendorfer-Licht, spokeswoman for the FDP’s religious-political group. “A holiday is a holiday,” criticizes Lars Castellucci, representative for church communities in the SPD parliamentary group, “and that must also apply to election committees.”

The European elections will take place in Germany on June 9th.

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