Welcome to European Tribune. It's gone a bit quiet around here these days, but it's still going.
Display:
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

by eurogreen on Tue Jun 12th, 2018 at 01:37:44 PM EST
[ Parent ]
It has little power because the democratically elected government of the the member states like it that way. I assume you have a proposal for democratically overriding those governments?
by Colman (colman at eurotrib.com) on Tue Jun 12th, 2018 at 01:52:02 PM EST
[ Parent ]
You're being a shill here aren't you? Thanks...

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.



It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue - Queen Elizabeth II
by eurogreen on Tue Jun 12th, 2018 at 01:59:42 PM EST
[ Parent ]
But on the other hand, if the consensus here is that the EU is just an overblown coal and steel board, which neither has nor should have any sovereignty or democratic legitimacy...  
Just send me a tweet, and I'll go about my business.

It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue - Queen Elizabeth II
by eurogreen on Tue Jun 12th, 2018 at 02:02:27 PM EST
[ Parent ]
"Our governments are not elected to govern Europe"

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

by eurogreen on Tue Jun 12th, 2018 at 03:42:21 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Display:

Occasional Series