Legislative initiative is not legislative power. The Commission proposes, but it plays no role in approving which is done jointly by the Parliament and the Council. Codecision is great.

The treaty of Lisbon also enshrines the rights of petition and initiative for citizens. If you get 1M signatures behind a legislative initiative the Commission cannot fail to act on it. Point me to a member state that has that.

When the capital development of a country becomes a by-product of the activities of a casino, the job is likely to be ill-done. — John M. Keynes