Equal suffrage in the case-law of European constitutional courts: convergences and divergences Pierre Garrone, Head of the Division of Elections and Political Parties, Venice Commission

Equal voting power Inequalities in representation Equal suffrage in the case-law of European constitutional courts Equal voting power Inequalities in representation The Code of Good Practice in Electoral Matters A trend towards more severity? Justified inequalities

Representation of national minorities Equal suffrage in the case-law of European constitutional courts Representation of national minorities The acceptance of specific rules Exceptions: Segregation Inadequacy

Gender parity Reluctant constitutional courts? At least one exception Equal suffrage in the case-law of European constitutional courts Gender parity Reluctant constitutional courts? At least one exception

Electoral systems Is proportionality imposed? Equal suffrage in the case-law of European constitutional courts Electoral systems Is proportionality imposed? A specific constitutional provision: an easy answer No specific provision: the variety of responses Interventionism v. non-interventionism?

Conclusion No uniformity Some common trends? Equal suffrage in the case-law of European constitutional courts Conclusion No uniformity Some common trends? A benchmark: cross-fertilisation

Contact us: Thank you! pierre.garrone@coe.int Equal suffrage in the case-law of European constitutional courts Contact us: pierre.garrone@coe.int Thank you!