Cyprus-Forum.com

[reportfromcyprus]

As set out in the Maastricht Treaty, any national of a Member State is a citizen of the Union. The aim of European citizenship is to strengthen and consolidate European identity by greater involvement of the citizens in the Community integration process. Thanks to the single market, citizens enjoy a series of general rights in various areas such as the free movement of goods and services, consumer protection and public health, equal opportunities and treatment, access to jobs and social protection. There are four categories of specific provisions and rights attached to citizenship of the European Union:

freedom of movement and residence throughout the Union;
the right to vote and stand as a candidate in municipal elections and in elections to the European Parliament in the state where he/she resides;
protection by the diplomatic and consular authorities of any Member State where the State of which the person is a national is not represented in a non-member country,
the right to petition the European Parliament and apply to the Ombudsman.
Although the exercise of these rights is dependent on European citizenship and is subject to certain limitations laid down by the Treaties or secondary legislation, the right to apply to the Ombudsman or to petition the European Parliament is open to all natural or legal persons residing in the Member States of the Union. Likewise, any person residing in the European Union has fundamental rights.

[reportfromcyprus]

The twelve official languages of the EU are: Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Irish (Gaelic), Italian, Portuguese, Spanish and Swedish.

We have to start thinking like EU citizens as well as Cypriots.

[cypezokyli]

i agree with villawagen.
this right is in any case only at a communal level , not really affecting significant goverment policies. and as lana said we have village where foreigners are a majority. they have the right to have a say.

i know that i received a letter twice to vote in germany. in my old city (if i remember correctly) i believe that the invitation to vote was written in all EU languages. in the new one it was only in german. as i didnt vote i cannot say if they would have given me any instructions at the balot on how to vote in another language.

[Strahd]

The classic argument that's been floating around recently is that everyone should learn Greek. We are NOT in Greece. We're an independent country with its own identity, advantages and future.

You are VERY WRONG my friend. Because this is an independent country and because the languages of this independent country are TWO GREEK AND TURKISH and NO OTHER LANGUAGE IS OFFICIAL, there is no need to spend taxpayers money to offer offcial government documents in any other language than these two. If you do not like this and you are not ready to accept the fact that cyprus is not an english speaking country then tough shit.

Both your arguments are both disregarding the fact that this country is independent.

[reportfromcyprus]

i agree with villawagen.
this right is in any case only at a communal level , not really affecting significant goverment policies. and as lana said we have village where foreigners are a majority. they have the right to have a say.

i know that i received a letter twice to vote in germany. in my old city (if i remember correctly) i believe that the invitation to vote was written in all EU languages. in the new one it was only in german. as i didnt vote i cannot say if they would have given me any instructions at the balot on how to vote in another language.

I don't see the point in joining the EU if no one participates in what is after all a massive bloc of local communities. Without the support of local communities, the country's government doesn't work either. The whole basis of the union is cooperation between countries and peoples; exclusionary policies or making it inconvenient for some sections of voters are not in the spirit of the EU. And not democratic.

[reportfromcyprus]

The classic argument that's been floating around recently is that everyone should learn Greek. We are NOT in Greece. We're an independent country with its own identity, advantages and future.

You are VERY WRONG my friend. Because this is an independent country and because the languages of this independent country are TWO GREEK AND TURKISH and NO OTHER LANGUAGE IS OFFICIAL, there is no need to spend taxpayers money to offer offcial government documents in any other language than these two. If you do not like this and you are not ready to accept the fact that cyprus is not an english speaking country then tough shit.

Both your arguments are both disregarding the fact that this country is independent.

Hmm. I didn't see them in Turkish either.

[reportfromcyprus]

"...the Commission stresses the need to facilitate the participation on non-national EU citizens in the political life of their Member State of residence. Here the political parties have an important role to play."

"Facilitate", ie. make it easier! Not pretend that other languages don't exist.

[Strahd]

The classic argument that's been floating around recently is that everyone should learn Greek. We are NOT in Greece. We're an independent country with its own identity, advantages and future.

You are VERY WRONG my friend. Because this is an independent country and because the languages of this independent country are TWO GREEK AND TURKISH and NO OTHER LANGUAGE IS OFFICIAL, there is no need to spend taxpayers money to offer offcial government documents in any other language than these two. If you do not like this and you are not ready to accept the fact that cyprus is not an english speaking country then tough shit.

Both your arguments are both disregarding the fact that this country is independent.

Hmm. I didn't see them in Turkish either.

1960 constitution states that Municipalities in the RoC are separate for two of the ethnic communities, that is why you will see greek flags outside municipal buildings these were GREEK MUNICIPALITIES ELECTIONS, since the Turks have decided not to participate in the running of this republic.

[reportfromcyprus]

How come there were 309 turkish-cypriots registered in the RoC who have the right to vote, then?

And since Cyprus is an EU member, it's clear that non-national EU citizens must also be supported...indeed...facilitated to stand or vote in elections.

[RichardB]

Changes have to be made - I went to vote in Limassol, the instructions were only in Greek - which I speak and read, but I can imagine that someone who doesn't would have difficulty figuring out what to do.

So in other EU countries they have instructions in all languages? Greek also?

In the uk voting forms are available in urdu , bengai , chinese , polish , and other languages which i cant remember offhand but basically they cover the majority of the minority languages spoken in the uk. I know forms are available in greek on request as when we first moved back over here i got them for my wife