This is something which needs to be standardized over the EU. As far as I am aware a person cannot be disenfranchized completely - that is the theory, but the practice is different. Currently British ex pats living abroad lose their voting rights for UK elections after 15 years absence from the country - this would be ok. if they then have full voting rights in their adopted country, but that isn't always the case. In Germany you get full voting rights only if you have German nationality - so a Briton who has been here for over 15 years but hasn't naturalized would have no full voting rights anywhere. So this needs to be standardized internationally - which isn't currently the case because the EU has always refrained from interfering with the internal political arrangements of its member states. This is completely different throughout Europe. I would say that, on principle, there should be no taxation without representation - ie. if you pay taxes you vote, simple as that. However - voting rights without knowledge of the language is problematic. In Belgium nearly all foreigners are naturalized and this is coupled with compulsory voting - which leads to the parties there having to print all their material in several languages.