Their leverage is enhanced by the 2009 Lisbon treaty, which stipulates that the budget must be approved by an absolute majority of the whole assembly (ie, absences and abstentions count as No votes).

2009年欧盟签署的《里斯本条约》（Lisbon treaty）规定欧盟的财政预算须获得欧洲议会绝对多数票后才可通过（缺席和弃权皆算作否决票），该条约也加强了欧洲议会的权力。

youdao

Handed a rare absolute parliamentary majority by voters, Italy's conservatives had an historic opportunity that has now been largely squandered.

ECONOMIST: Italian politics

By the afternoon, the election commission was announcing that Mr Kocharian had fallen just short of an absolute majority: he had 49.8%, and must face a run-off after all.

ECONOMIST: Armenia's presidential vote