The European Parliament does not comment on the referendum in Russia

David McAllister

Tomas Tobé

The European Parliament has not been invited to observe the electoral process in Russia and therefore will not comment on the process of the constitutional referendum and its results, said co-chairs of the EP’s Democracy Support and Election Coordination Group David McAllister and Tomas Tobé. They underlined that any MEP who decided to observe this electoral process in the Russian Federation or the illegally annexed Crimea had done so on her/his own initiative.

This is the full text of their statement:

“A constitutional referendum took place in Russia from 25 June to 1 July.

The European Parliament has not been invited to observe this electoral process, and consequently will neither comment on the process nor on the results that will be announced afterwards. No individual Member of the European Parliament has been mandated to observe or comment on this electoral process on its behalf.

Therefore, any Member of the European Parliament who decided to observe this electoral process in the Russian Federation, or in the illegally annexed Crimean peninsula, where the European Union does not and will not recognise the holding of this consultation, has done so on her/his own initiative and should under no circumstances through any statement or action, associate her/his participation with the European Parliament.”