Home > 1.2.3 Equality and national minorities > REPORT ON CONSTITUENCY DELINEATION AND SEAT ALLOCATION
 
 
 
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Paragraph 17
 

In some states minimum representation is secured to national minorities, such as in Slovenia where the Hungarian and Italian ethnic communities are entitled to one MP each at the National Assembly. In Poland, the Constitutional Tribunal has held that lists put up by “registered” organisations of national minorities may, at their request made before the election to the National Electoral Commission (art. 197 Polish Electoral Code), be taken into account in the allocation of parliamentary seats even if they do not attain the 5% quorum required of other lists. The German Electoral Law includes a similar rule. In Romania, organisations of citizens belonging to national minorities, which fail to obtain the number of votes necessary for representation in Parliament, have the right to one seat each.  Belgium and Italy have also adapted their electoral laws to provide representation for German speaking minorities.