Transnational Representation of Non-Resident, Kin-Minority Voters

Debates on non-resident voting typically focus on whether emigrants should be allowed to vote in elections in their home country. However, in Central Eastern Europe, non-resident voters are often not emigrants, but rather members of kin-minority communities. Therefore, their claims for non-resident voting rights are closely tied to their status as minorities. Consequently, I argue that discussions on non-resident voting in the region must be reframed to recognize that these voters are not merely expatriates but members of minority communities whose claims are shaped by their status as such. This research offers a new framework to understand non-resident citizens’ claims for representation. Employing contextual discourse analysis, the study examines plenary parliamentary debates within EU member states with significant kin-minority populations. By scrutinizing debates related to the kin-minority communities and their voting rights, the research aims to uncover the transnational dimensions of representation. While previous research has already demonstrated the presence of a transnational representative dimension in European parliamentary practices (Kinski and Crum, 2020), this study seeks to provide empirical evidence that such a dimension can indeed benefit non-resident, kin-minority voters. By doing so, I aim to demonstrate that transnational representation is not only a theoretical concept but a meaningful framework for situating minority claims.