In its examination of compliance with Art. 3 of Protocol No. 1, the Court has thus applied two main criteria: whether there has been arbitrariness or a lack of proportionality, and whether the restriction has interfered with the free expression of the opinion of the people. The Court has also underlined “the need to assess any electoral legislation in the light of the political evolution of the country concerned, which means that unacceptable features in one system may be justified in another.