Information from the EU website Europa: Elections Abroad; Non-EU citizens may not vote in Germany, but may be elected by foreign members of the local community on to the Foreigners' Advisory Councils (Ausländerbeiräte). You can vote in France if you are more than 18 years old. The only candidate to win a higher proportion of the public vote in the history of the French Fifth Republic was Jacques Chirac, who in 2002 defeated Marine Le Pen’s father Jean-Marie Le Pen with 82 per cent of the vote. John Leicester speaks with some of the many Britons who are losing their right to have a say in the running of places they have lived for decades. Mr Macnab said he does not want to be a German citizen, despite having lived in Germany for 40 years, because he may choose to move back to the UK some day. Mr Nixey said that serving on the village council, dealing with the minutiae of local services like refuse collection and road repairs, helped integrate him and his wife, Margaret, into the rural community where they raised two children. You can find our Community Guidelines in full here. Saint-Martial mayor Pierre Bachellerie said that excluding the British expatriates will be “a big loss” for his and other villages which have been revived by the arrival of British workers and retirees. Mr Nixey worries that communication will suffer if he is not around to translate and help smooth out problems and misunderstandings. The material on this site can not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with prior written permission of Multiply. How much caffeine can you drink if you are pregnant? See today's front and back pages, download the newspaper, This means that 11.4 million of the 47 million who are registered to vote chose not to – higher than the number that voted for Ms Le Pen. I really don't like other people being able to make my life choices. In Finland, they will need to have been residents for two years, while the residency requirement is five years in the Netherlands. Ms Le Pen conceded the election soon after polls closed, saying that voters had chosen “continuity” in Mr Macron – dismissing his self-proclaimed outsider status. Emmanuel Macron wife: Who is Brigitte Trogneux? Fifteen years later, Le Pen junior won 10.6 million votes (34 per cent) – almost twice the number awarded to her father, and the highest share that the National Front has ever received. Voting conditions in another EU country. You can answer ‘Yes’ or ‘No’. Some EU countries may offer additional voting means that are not mentioned here. The problem could be fixed by becoming citizens of where they have chosen to live - which can be a drawn-out process. Following the vote, members join hands and sing Auld Lang Syne. You vote once for a candidate in your constituency and the candidate with the most votes becomes your MP. He is not optimistic that he will get it in time to stand again for re-election in Saint-Martial-sur-Isop. Britain also has been negotiating directly with other EU nations to extend the ability of British expatriates to vote and run for office after Brexit. She has been proud to serve as an elected councillor since 2014 in the village of Blond, which has 700 residents and boasts a fortified medieval church. Boris Johnson prorogues parliament for five weeks in the lead up to the UK's agreed departure date of 31 October. Already disenfranchised by British electoral law, which prevents expatriates from voting in the United Kingdom after 15 years overseas, Brexit will for many usher in an uncertain future with no ability to vote anywhere. From being active participants in the communities where they have spread roots and paid taxes, British expatriates in France, Germany and elsewhere in the European Union will suddenly find themselves on the outside with no say. French election result: What does Macron's win mean for the EU? Some countries allow non-EU citizens to vote in municipal elections. All Rights Reserved. Some 34.8 million voters went to the polls, with turnout at 75.3 per cent according to the French Interior Ministry – the lowest percentage since the 1969 election. Emmanuel Macron was elected as France’s new president with 20.7 million votes, or 66 per cent of the total cast. Who is the longest reigning WWE Champion of all time? The deal also includes the backstop, which is anathema to many brexiteers and Dominic Raab and Esther McVey resign from the cabinet in protest, After several failed attempts to pass her withdrawal agreement through the commons, Theresa May resigns, Boris Johnson is elected leader of the Conservative party in a landslide victory. However, the loss will be felt by Britons who left years ago to make new lives on the continent. Create a commenting name to join the debate, There are no Independent Premium comments yet - be the first to add your thoughts, There are no comments yet - be the first to add your thoughts. We will use your email address only for sending you newsletters. or many Britons living in towns and villages across Europe, the arrival of Brexit on Friday night will mean losing the right to vote and stand for office. Due to the sheer scale of this comment community, we are not able to give each post the same level of attention, but we have preserved this area in the interests of open debate. I know the anger, anxiety, and doubts that many have expressed.”, He also pledged to “defend Europe”, saying: “It is our civilisation which is at stake.