There is something in the air in Germany. Not just the cold burst of frigid winter air that has us cowering beneath our massive scarves - something is up. Casual talk has taken on an undertone of urgency and through my broken German I hear muttered words like Piraten, Kanzlerkandidaten and Merkel tossed about with abandon. Signs are littered over the city. Political chatter consumes the TV and radio. Even clueless me can see it's election season. Can you vote in the country you live in? Do you vote in elections in your country of citizenship? Do you feel like the laws are fair in your country of residence? Full Post on NOT Being able to vote abroad: http://texkourgan.blogexpat.com/blog/2013/09/19/political-awareness-as-an-expat
I'm a UK citizen. I can vote in the UK and I do, but I have no desire to vote in anyone else's country, or to involve myself in the politics of another country. I just wish there were not so many non-citizens that are apparently allowed to vote in the UK on the basis that they are commonwealth citizens. I am also an Irish citizen but do not vote there, because I don't live in Ireland. However, I ensure that I am very much politically aware before even stepping into another country. That is just common sense. I don't get involved in political discussions when outside my own country, and avoid them at home too. I have more interesting fish to fry.