EPP chief expresses concern over reports about vote of Greeks in UK

The front-runner for the European Commission presidency has weighed into a row between the Greek government and the main opposition regarding how Greeks in the United Kingdom will vote in the upcoming European parliamentary elections.

“It is worrying that the Greek Government is using Brexit as an excuse to refuse 70,000 Greek nationals the right to vote from the UK in the EU elections. No other EU country has done that. In a democracy, limiting voting rights is very problematic,” Weber said in a post on Twitter on Thursday night.

The Bavarian politician who heads the European People's Party, was responding to accusations made by Greece's conservative opposition earlier in the day over an announcement from the Greek Embassy in London stating that Greeks who live, work or study in the UK will have to submit an application with the consular office in London or the honorary consular offices in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Gibraltar, Leeds and Birmingham by March 21 in order to be included on the electoral rolls of Greek diplomatic and consular authorities in an EU country of his or her choosing.

The UK, which is scheduled to leave the bloc on March 29, will not be participating in the European parliamentary elections in late May.

New Democracy accused the government of deliberately preventing Greeks in the UK from participating in the European elections, saying that it “trembles” at the possible outcome.

The ministries of Foreign Affairs and Interior responded to the accusation saying that they are in the process of addressing the issue so that all Greek nationals in the UK can exercise their electoral rights.