Andorra Rejects Open Lists in Parish Elections Amid Fragmentation Fears

Andorra's Consell General on Thursday rejected Concòrdia's proposal to amend the electoral law by introducing fully open lists in parish elections, as Demòcrates and Ciutadans Compromesos blocked it at the initial consideration stage. Opposition parties Partit Socialdemòcrata and Andorra Endavant supported advancing debate despite reservations about the content.

Ciutadans Compromesos leader Carles Naudi led the charge against the bill, invoking Spanish fictional characters Rodolfo Chikilicuatre—the 2008 Eurovision novelty act selected by public vote—and the crude detective Torrente to highlight risks of electing candidates based on viral appeal rather than substance. He warned of influencers gaining seats, a Torrente becoming head of government, or the most outrageous TikToker serving as Síndic General. In small parishes like Canillo and La Massana, Naudi noted, as few as four or five votes could nominate someone, while 100 votes might secure a general councillor in crowded fields without overall 15% support. He raised concerns over ideological mismatches when filling vacancies from single-person lists and predicted endless fragmentation, "constant chaos," and perpetual elections that would undermine stability. His group voted no.

Minister for Institutional Relations, Education and Universities Ladislau Baró acknowledged the bill's technical effort but pointed to flaws, including fully open parish lists alongside a closed national list, which he said lacked systemic coherence and contradicted goals of empowering voters. In Andorra's nascent party system, he argued, it risked excessive fragmentation, electing representatives on minimal votes, and upsetting the balance between territorial bipartism and national proportionality—without proven links to higher turnout. Demòcrates leader Jordi Jordana called it incoherent, favouring personalism over policy and threatening parliamentary stability close to elections, while deeming single-person candidacies undemocratic.

Concòrdia councillor Pol Bartolomé presented the text as a flexible starting point to address voter disengagement, low youth participation among 18- to 25-year-olds, and Andorra's poor proportionality—worse than all but 13 of 127 countries studied. He criticised the current partially open system as party-dominated, limiting voter choice, and drew on Jürgen Habermas for a consensual democracy prioritising debate and agreement. While admitting electoral tweaks alone won't curb abstention, he positioned the bill as a "shock" to rebuild ties between citizens and representatives, urging a commission to consult social actors ahead of future polls.

Opposition responses balanced critique with openness to discussion. Partit Socialdemòcrata's Susana Vela highlighted dangers of personalism, media influence, and lobbies but backed consideration to enhance proportionality and modernise the 2022 law. Andorra Endavant's Carine Montaner opposed the substance—fearing an "ungovernable" country—but voted yes to reopen talks on electoral rules, including more referendums.