European democracy
#TheFutureIsYours Strengthening European democracy
Let us make the EU a fully-fledged democracy.
In a classic three powers of democracy (legislation, executive and judicial) there is no place for an institution like the European Council.
All legislative power should go to parliament - the executive power should only go to the Commission.
All legislative power should go to parliament - the executive power should only go to the Commission.
The European Council is still too much misused by the larger member states of Germany and France to push through their agenda.
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To exclude the European Council simply because it does not perfectly fit Montesquieu's vision (of centuries ago) seems a weak argument to me. Many countries, especially federal countries (to which the EU comes closest in many aspects) do not have a clear separation of powers but rather a system of checks and balances. Such a system is present in EU law.
Moreover, I disagree that a national veto is undemocratic. Such a veto is exercised by a government which is elected at national level.
Lastly, your example hails from foreign policy for which the EU has only a limited competence - this is the problem, not which EU institution is acting. So, what you are actually advocating for is a stronger EU competence for foreign and security policy with majority voting. This is a position I would support. But it has little to do with the European Council.
Thank you for your response, I appreciate.
Please let me elaborate what I mean by the undemocratic principle of the veto possibility in the EU Council.
The national governments represent their countries in the EU Council, and they are more or less democratically elected in every EU-Member State (there are differences, but I won't go into that right now). That is democratic. But there are around 450 Million citizens in EU. When the EU Council gathers on high level to decide on any foreign policy issue, such as sanctions or diplomatic notes to countries that oppress their citizens human rights, any country can veto the decisions. We have seen several cases where 27 MS would vote YES and one would vote NO.
That means that democratically elected representatives of their citizens representing for example 445 Million citizens vote YES and one representative of 5 Million citizens votes NO. The END RESULT is not according to a democratic principle, even if it is that de jure.
@ Lea, U hebt volkomen gelijk. Het geschetste idee van de drie machten in ‘Brussel’ gaat uit van een zelfstandige entiteit en gaat voorbij aan het bestaan van zelfstandige lidstaten. De Commissie en het Europees Parlement bestaan bij de gratie van de zelfstandige lidstaten en hun burgers.
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