6.  The applicants were born in 1967, 1961 and 1958 respectively and live in Strasbourg. They are officials of the Council of Europe 7.  By Presidential Decree no. 154/2007 of 18 August 2007, the Greek Parliament was dissolved and a general election was called for 16 September 2007. 8.  In a fax dated 10 September 2007 to the Greek Ambassador in France, the applicants, as permanent residents in France, expressed the wish to exercise their voting rights in France in the elections to be held on 16 September 2007. 9.  In his reply of 12 September 2007 the Ambassador, relying on the instructions and information provided by the Ministry of the Interior, stated as follows:
“[The Greek State] confirms its wish – expressed frequently at the institutional level – to enable Greek citizens resident abroad to vote at their place of residence. However, it is clear that this matter requires regulation by means of legislation which does not currently exist. In fact, such regulation could not be brought about by a simple administrative decision, given that special measures would be required for the setting-up of polling stations in Embassies and Consulates ... In the light of the above and despite the wish expressed by the State, your request concerning the forthcoming elections cannot be granted for objective reasons.” 10.  The general election took place on 16 September 2007. The applicants, who did not return to Greece, did not exercise their right to vote.