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We elect MEP's to a Parliament everyone knows has little power.
Is it possible that this is feeding the strong and growing sense of helplessness and cynicism of EU citizens towards the whole concept of the EU?
No, I guess not eh?
Our governments are not elected to govern Europe (FACT), and yet that is a very large part of their job.
I guess that isn't a problem either. In fact, the EU isn't falling apart at all. It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue - Queen Elizabeth II
Constitutional Assembly The people of Europe have a right to consider the union's future and a duty to transform Europe (by 2025) into a full-fledged democracy with a sovereign Parliament respecting national self-determination and sharing power with national Parliaments, regional assemblies and municipal councils. To do this, an Assembly of their representatives must be convened. DiEM25 will promote a Constitutional Assembly consisting of representatives elected on trans-national tickets. Today, when universities apply to Brussels for research funding, they must form alliances across nations. Similarly, election to the Constitutional Assembly should require tickets featuring candidates from a majority of European countries. The resulting Constitutional Assembly will be empowered to decide on a future democratic constitution that will replace all existing European Treaties within a decade.
The people of Europe have a right to consider the union's future and a duty to transform Europe (by 2025) into a full-fledged democracy with a sovereign Parliament respecting national self-determination and sharing power with national Parliaments, regional assemblies and municipal councils. To do this, an Assembly of their representatives must be convened. DiEM25 will promote a Constitutional Assembly consisting of representatives elected on trans-national tickets. Today, when universities apply to Brussels for research funding, they must form alliances across nations. Similarly, election to the Constitutional Assembly should require tickets featuring candidates from a majority of European countries. The resulting Constitutional Assembly will be empowered to decide on a future democratic constitution that will replace all existing European Treaties within a decade.
OK, after a bit of thought, this probably plays differently in the smaller countries, which are by necessity more outward-looking. Perhaps people actually vote in their national elections taking into account the positions of the various parties with respect to EU competencies.
In France, this is also true, but only in the sense that the "government" parties of centre-left and centre-right are identified as pro-EU (pro-status quo for those with a nuanced view), and indistinguishable on EU affairs. This view tends to increase the vote for anti-establishment, anti-EU parties outside this concensus. No actual EU competency or policy area is given consideration in electoral campaigns.
This seems to be the case in Italy also. The centre-left and centre-right have been swept aside, in large part because they were seen as Tweedledum and Tweedledee sell-outs who surrendered to EU tyranny.
But apart from that, EU democracy works just fine (oh here I go again) It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue - Queen Elizabeth II
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