Brussels, 07/12/2015 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 7 December, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini noted that the people of Venezuela voted in favour of change at their parliamentary elections on Sunday 6 December.
“The people of Venezuela have peacefully elected a new national assembly (…) The ballot cast by the voters is a vote for change”, Mogherini stated in a press release.
Of the 167 seats to be allocated, the opposition - brought together under the banner of the Democratic Unity Roundtable - won 99 seats, while the current government's United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) obtained 46 seats. There are still 22 seats to be allocated. The voter turnout rate was over 74%.
Mogherini asked the Venezuelan political class to listen to the message of the voters so as to cooperate on strengthening democratic institutions and addressing the country's challenges.
Czech Liberal Dita Charanzova welcomed the resounding victory of the Venezuelan opposition. “Venezuelans (…) have shown that they were not scared despite the continued intimidation, harassment, and even violence”, she said, calling on the newly victorious opposition to stand united in order to bring about true democratic change in Venezuela. (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)