Motion for a resolution | Doc. 13125 | 31 January 2013

The post-electoral shifting in members’ political affiliation and its repercussion on the composition of a national delegation

Signatories: Mr Andreas GROSS, Switzerland, SOC ; Mr André BUGNON, Switzerland, ALDE ; Mr Christopher CHOPE, United Kingdom, EDG ; Mr Gianni FARINA, Italy, SOC ; Mr Bernard FOURNIER, France, EPP/CD ; Mr Hans FRANKEN, Netherlands, EPP/CD ; Mr Davit HARUTYUNYAN, Armenia, EDG ; Mr Joachim HÖRSTER, Germany, EPP/CD ; Mr Tiny KOX, Netherlands, UEL ; Ms Liliana PALIHOVICI, Republic of Moldova, EPP/CD ; Ms Marietta de POURBAIX-LUNDIN, Sweden, EPP/CD ; Mr Armen RUSTAMYAN, Armenia, SOC ; Mr Pavlo RYABIKIN, Ukraine, EPP/CD ; Mr Rovshan RZAYEV, Azerbaijan, EPP/CD ; Mr Giacomo SANTINI, Italy, EPP/CD ; Mr Stefan SCHENNACH, Austria, SOC ; Mr Serhiy SOBOLEV, Ukraine, EPP/CD ; Mr Egidijus VAREIKIS, Lithuania, EPP/CD ; Ms Nataša VUČKOVIĆ, Serbia, SOC ; Ms Nataša VUČKOVIĆ, Serbia, SOC ; Ms Gisela WURM, Austria, SOC

This motion has not been discussed in the Assembly and commits only those who have signed it.

The phenomenon of post-electoral "floor-crossing", in other words, a changing at the national level of a political affiliation by a parliamentarian or a group of parliamentarians in the course of their electoral mandate, is well known in many parliaments of member States of the Council of Europe where it can be observed to a greater or lesser extent according to the parliament.

Apart from the criticisms arising from this phenomenon related to issues such as political opportunism, the threat to public confidence towards the political class, or, again, the internal discipline of political parties, the post-electoral shifting of a member of the Assembly from one party or political group to another or his or her decision to leave a party to sit as an independent member may have an implication on the balance of political forces’ representation within a national delegation.

In this connection, an analysis of the reasons that lead to "floor-crossing" and its implication on the functioning of parliament would allow the Assembly to complete the criteria on a fair representation of political parties and groups within a national delegation laid down by the Rules of Procedure.