3 ms·

Can someone smarter than me explain what this means in simpler terms? I feel a bit lost after reading this, I hold triple citizenship (Canadian, Slovak, UK) and

by enlyth 4y ago

Can someone smarter than me explain what this means in simpler terms? I feel a bit lost after reading this, I hold triple citizenship (Canadian, Slovak, UK) and live in the UK, but not sure how this affects me

the_svd_doctor 4y ago
If you’re Slovak this clearly does not affect you. Slovakia is still in the EU.
pavlov 4y ago
Your Slovakian citizenship means you retain EU citizenship, so you’re not affected.
- enlyth 4y ago
  Ah okay thanks, I had a feeling this was the case, although Slovakia is a bit funny about dual citizenships (I think officially it's not allowed, but a grey area)
  - samsk 4y ago
    Yeah, I wouldn't talk too much anywhere about having multiple citizenship in multiple countries, and especially not in Slovakia, because it can be taken away from you.
ben_w 4y ago
IANAL, but I think it means the "EU citizenship" is merely a convenient shorthand for "citizenship of an EU member state" and not a citizenship in its own right. As Slovakia is a member state of the EU, this will not itself directly affect you.
maverwa 4y ago
Basically UK citizens living in the EU can not vote in local elections anymore, as UK left the EU and therefore they „citizen of an EU member state“ requirement is no longer fulfilled. I am not a lawyer, nor do I know more details, but I would guess it should not change anything for you, as your slovakian citizenship should suffice. [edit] first version was missing a crucial „Not“
- jeroenhd 4y ago
  The limitation on local elections may differ per member state. France doesn't allow voting for local elections without citizenship but other countries do. The only thing that changed is that UK nationals no longer have the status of "citizen" in the EU (unless they have dual citizenship, of course). What that means exactly differs per country. IANAL but I don't think this changes much in practice, or was ever an unexpected outcome, really.
  - maverwa 4y ago
    thanks for clearing that up! And indeed, not unexpected at all.
2000UltraDeluxe 4y ago
I suspect it won't affect you since you have citizenship in the country where you live. Long story short, EU citizens have certain rights in some member states. When the UK left, UK citizens are no longer entitled to any rights given to "EU citizens" in their country of residence.
chki 4y ago
Not sure whether I'm smarter than you but I have studied EU Law. There are provisions in the EU Treaties that give citizens of member states an "EU citizenship" (see Art. 20 TFEU). Those EU citizenships give EU citizens – among other rights – the right to live and work in any other EU country and vote in local elections [1] Before Brexit British citizens had this EU citizenship as well. The question that arose after Brexit was, whether British citizens would possibly retain this citizenship, which could have meant that they would retain the rights that come with it as well. There are different arguments why British citizens might have kept this EU citizenship, for example it might be argued that the withdrawal of a _state_ from the Union can not mean that _individuals_ loose their rights or it could be argued that such a loss of rights would be disproportionate. The CJEU has now interpreted the treaties in such a way that the withdrawal does indeed mean that individuals loose their EU citizenship, arguing that "the authors of the Treaties thus established an inseparable and exclusive link between possession of the nationality of a Member State and not only the acquisition, but also the retention, of the status of citizen of the Union". So this ruling might have had a big effect if the CJEU decided in a different way. The way they decided now, everything stays the same. If you are in possession of another EU member states citizenship (Slovakia) this will not change anything for you, you will remain an EU citizen. [1] Technically many of those rights were already in the treaties before the introduction of the EU citizenship, so it is a bit "declaratory" in nature.

by enlyth 4y ago

the_svd_doctor 4y ago

If you’re Slovak this clearly does not affect you. Slovakia is still in the EU.

pavlov 4y ago

Your Slovakian citizenship means you retain EU citizenship, so you’re not affected.

enlyth 4y ago
Ah okay thanks, I had a feeling this was the case, although Slovakia is a bit funny about dual citizenships (I think officially it's not allowed, but a grey area)
- samsk 4y ago
  Yeah, I wouldn't talk too much anywhere about having multiple citizenship in multiple countries, and especially not in Slovakia, because it can be taken away from you.

ben_w 4y ago

IANAL, but I think it means the "EU citizenship" is merely a convenient shorthand for "citizenship of an EU member state" and not a citizenship in its own right. As Slovakia is a member state of the EU, this will not itself directly affect you.

maverwa 4y ago

Basically UK citizens living in the EU can not vote in local elections anymore, as UK left the EU and therefore they „citizen of an EU member state“ requirement is no longer fulfilled. I am not a lawyer, nor do I know more details, but I would guess it should not change anything for you, as your slovakian citizenship should suffice. [edit] first version was missing a crucial „Not“

jeroenhd 4y ago
The limitation on local elections may differ per member state. France doesn't allow voting for local elections without citizenship but other countries do. The only thing that changed is that UK nationals no longer have the status of "citizen" in the EU (unless they have dual citizenship, of course). What that means exactly differs per country. IANAL but I don't think this changes much in practice, or was ever an unexpected outcome, really.
- maverwa 4y ago
  thanks for clearing that up! And indeed, not unexpected at all.

2000UltraDeluxe 4y ago

I suspect it won't affect you since you have citizenship in the country where you live. Long story short, EU citizens have certain rights in some member states. When the UK left, UK citizens are no longer entitled to any rights given to "EU citizens" in their country of residence.

chki 4y ago

Not sure whether I'm smarter than you but I have studied EU Law. There are provisions in the EU Treaties that give citizens of member states an "EU citizenship" (see Art. 20 TFEU). Those EU citizenships give EU citizens – among other rights – the right to live and work in any other EU country and vote in local elections [1] Before Brexit British citizens had this EU citizenship as well. The question that arose after Brexit was, whether British citizens would possibly retain this citizenship, which could have meant that they would retain the rights that come with it as well. There are different arguments why British citizens might have kept this EU citizenship, for example it might be argued that the withdrawal of a _state_ from the Union can not mean that _individuals_ loose their rights or it could be argued that such a loss of rights would be disproportionate. The CJEU has now interpreted the treaties in such a way that the withdrawal does indeed mean that individuals loose their EU citizenship, arguing that "the authors of the Treaties thus established an inseparable and exclusive link between possession of the nationality of a Member State and not only the acquisition, but also the retention, of the status of citizen of the Union". So this ruling might have had a big effect if the CJEU decided in a different way. The way they decided now, everything stays the same. If you are in possession of another EU member states citizenship (Slovakia) this will not change anything for you, you will remain an EU citizen. [1] Technically many of those rights were already in the treaties before the introduction of the EU citizenship, so it is a bit "declaratory" in nature.