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| How would you redefine the EU? Open thread | How would you redefine the EU? Open thread |
| (4 months later) | |
| Europe is going through a very difficult time and the EU is facing greater hostility from within than any other time since it began. What ideas do you have for re-shaping how it can work for the better? | Europe is going through a very difficult time and the EU is facing greater hostility from within than any other time since it began. What ideas do you have for re-shaping how it can work for the better? |
| Writers from newspapers around Europe put forward their ideas on how to reinvigorate the union, but what do you think? | Writers from newspapers around Europe put forward their ideas on how to reinvigorate the union, but what do you think? |
| Post your suggestions in the thread below. We'll post the best suggestions above the line as they come in. | Post your suggestions in the thread below. We'll post the best suggestions above the line as they come in. |
| RobertSchuman | RobertSchuman |
| 1) The most important thing that has to come along with the democratic reform is to define a raodmap of where things are going and what the EU should evolve to be. | 1) The most important thing that has to come along with the democratic reform is to define a raodmap of where things are going and what the EU should evolve to be. |
| 2) We have to give up the idea that everyone has to join while trying to keep it possible for others to join later. | 2) We have to give up the idea that everyone has to join while trying to keep it possible for others to join later. |
| 3) If a country has decided to be in the EU then it must be in the Eu entirely. Then it must join the Euro, it must join Schengen, it must join every treaty. There will be no accomdation of special interest which has harmed the union so much in the past and now blocks our institutions. | 3) If a country has decided to be in the EU then it must be in the Eu entirely. Then it must join the Euro, it must join Schengen, it must join every treaty. There will be no accomdation of special interest which has harmed the union so much in the past and now blocks our institutions. |
| 4) Pan-European issues must be decided by a parliament that is elected by all Europeans equally and it must have real power | 4) Pan-European issues must be decided by a parliament that is elected by all Europeans equally and it must have real power |
| 5) The EU must have its own revenues (taxes) to fulfill its tasks. Create a common treasury. | 5) The EU must have its own revenues (taxes) to fulfill its tasks. Create a common treasury. |
| 6) Pool the powers that make sense like foreign and defence poliy. A high-level fiscal policy with financial transfers, common regulation for pan-European issues (e.g. banking union). | 6) Pool the powers that make sense like foreign and defence poliy. A high-level fiscal policy with financial transfers, common regulation for pan-European issues (e.g. banking union). |
| 7) Return powers to memberstates that don't have to be on an EU level. That includes elements of CAP and the regional and security policy. | 7) Return powers to memberstates that don't have to be on an EU level. That includes elements of CAP and the regional and security policy. |
| 8) Have a president that is elected by the people. | 8) Have a president that is elected by the people. |
| 9) Have an upper house with veto rights and extensive legislative rights (the council) to represent the interests of the member states | 9) Have an upper house with veto rights and extensive legislative rights (the council) to represent the interests of the member states |
| 10) Make a new attempt to create a proper constitution after the future shape of the EU has become more visible. The differences in interpreation of what the EU should be was what killed the first attempt. And only the people of Europe should vote for or against a European consitution, not the people of individual countries. | 10) Make a new attempt to create a proper constitution after the future shape of the EU has become more visible. The differences in interpreation of what the EU should be was what killed the first attempt. And only the people of Europe should vote for or against a European consitution, not the people of individual countries. |
| einszweidreiguardian | einszweidreiguardian |
| 1. Create a federal structure, where each layer (regional/national/European) has its defined responsibilities. | 1. Create a federal structure, where each layer (regional/national/European) has its defined responsibilities. |
| 2. Sort out the democratic deficit by giving the European Parliament increased power, make the European Parliament nominate Commissioners and limit the power and prominency of the European Council. | 2. Sort out the democratic deficit by giving the European Parliament increased power, make the European Parliament nominate Commissioners and limit the power and prominency of the European Council. |
| 3. Create a European tax so we can see the end of current national contributions, which sometimes are unfair and always are complicated and next to impossible to overview and understand for the average person. | 3. Create a European tax so we can see the end of current national contributions, which sometimes are unfair and always are complicated and next to impossible to overview and understand for the average person. |
| 4. Add those bits of the political union that weren't added in the Maastricht treaty so that the euro can function like any other currency. | 4. Add those bits of the political union that weren't added in the Maastricht treaty so that the euro can function like any other currency. |
| Make sure people are knowledgeable about the EU before they are asked if this is what they want. | Make sure people are knowledgeable about the EU before they are asked if this is what they want. |
| The referendums in Europe about various EU treaties etc are usually a sad affair where a majority of the people probably does not even know the basics about the EU (e.g. how the institutions work). So instead the referendum often turns out to be a kind of general popularity vote on either the national government, the EU or a combination of both. | The referendums in Europe about various EU treaties etc are usually a sad affair where a majority of the people probably does not even know the basics about the EU (e.g. how the institutions work). So instead the referendum often turns out to be a kind of general popularity vote on either the national government, the EU or a combination of both. |
| frenchderek | frenchderek |
| I propose two things that could help bring about more democracy in the EU. | I propose two things that could help bring about more democracy in the EU. |
| First is to return to the system whereby national Parliaments were asked for their views on proposed EU legislation before it went to the European Parliament. This was stopped as part of the Maastricht Treaty: the sop being a strengthened EU Parliament. OK this latter has benefited - and it does act within an EU-wide context, rather than a national representative context but they lack knowledge of national parliamentary views. | First is to return to the system whereby national Parliaments were asked for their views on proposed EU legislation before it went to the European Parliament. This was stopped as part of the Maastricht Treaty: the sop being a strengthened EU Parliament. OK this latter has benefited - and it does act within an EU-wide context, rather than a national representative context but they lack knowledge of national parliamentary views. |
| Second is to open up the meetings of national leaders. Following Maastricht (again) this group became the most powerful of the EU institutions. National leaders did not like sharing power with the Commission, so relegated the Commission, pretended that the EU Parliament would have equal power - and then took over. National leaders too often play the national game, rather than the EU game; and they play their games behind closed doors (the EU Parliament is open to view on-line). | Second is to open up the meetings of national leaders. Following Maastricht (again) this group became the most powerful of the EU institutions. National leaders did not like sharing power with the Commission, so relegated the Commission, pretended that the EU Parliament would have equal power - and then took over. National leaders too often play the national game, rather than the EU game; and they play their games behind closed doors (the EU Parliament is open to view on-line). |
| If national views were represented earlier in discussions, then what follows ought (stress ought) to be discussed in a more EU-wide context. | If national views were represented earlier in discussions, then what follows ought (stress ought) to be discussed in a more EU-wide context. |
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