A “knowledge test” for the right to vote. The proposal of a small party in the Czech Republic

Brussels – A proposal bound to stir controversy with almost no hope of being accepted, but that reopens an old debate (including an Italian one) in Europe. Should the right to vote be tied to a test of knowledge of the public and political life of one’s own country, if not even of the European Union? It is what the small – and Euroskeptic right-wing – Czech Conservative Party (KONS) would like, according to the proposal of its leader, Jan Kubalcík.

A kind of voter license that allows to exercising one’s right to vote, somewhat like a driver’s license to operate a vehicle or a high school exam to obtain a diploma. According to Kubalcík, this could be the solution to meet the challenge of voters who are indifferent to politics but occasionally exercise their civic rights in national and European elections: a test consisting of ten questions randomly selected by a computer from among a thousand to exclude from decision-making processes those who lack a basic understanding of political and civic life.

It revives the diatribe between those who advocate the need to ensure an informed electorate and those who consider it a cornerstone to maintain inclusive democratic principles. It should be remembered, however, that this remains only a proposal from a small party without representation at the institutional level and that the Czech politician acknowledges the very slim chances of passing at the national level. Despite its founding in 1990, the Czech Conservative Party has never managed to elect any deputies or senators to the national parliament.