Europe Day and the hustle and bustle of Eurovision are expected in the coming days. The Europe Letter covers key EU issues every Friday. You can order the entire letter to your email.
Rikhard Husu,
Elli-Alina Hiilamo
Are pan-European lists the savior of European democracy? This was discussed at a session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg last week.
In practice, the reform would mean that, in addition to the current nationally elected MEPs, a further 28 pan-European representatives would be elected. These would therefore be a candidate in every Member State and would need broad support from different countries to go through.
LISTS OF CANDIDATES would be decided by the political parties. The number one candidate on the list would be the candidate for President of the European Commission in each group. In this way, voters would be able to have a direct influence on who is elected to the top position in the EU. In this way, for example, Finns could vote for candidates from other EU countries put on the list.
Does it sound familiar? Similar supranationalism was also sought in the 2014 and 2019 parliamentary elections, when European political families nominated their own top candidates. This Spitzenkandidat arrangement went down in 2019 when Ursula von der Leyen was appointed chairman of the center-right EPP group Manfred Weberin in front of the nose.
THOUGHT However, the gap in democracy in EU leadership appointments has not been rectified. According to Damian Boeselager, who represents the Volt party, pan-European lists would solve the problem of democracy in the performance of top positions.
– If we accept that we need deeper integration, we must also consider how to increase democratic accountability, the German MEP is considering.
Many Finnish mayors are not convinced of the rationality of the project. Representatives of big countries are feared to sweep the floor with candidates from small countries when top candidates are decided. Critics will be comforted by the fact that the proposal will not be successful on the part of the Council of Member States. A change in electoral law would require unanimity among member states, which is not in sight.
IN PARLIAMENT the Italian prime minister visited on Tuesday Mario Draghi was on the verge of fundamental questions. He informed Parliament in a speech (you switch to another service)advocating “practical federalism” as a solution to the future challenges of the EU.
In practice, Draghi wants to increase the EU’s influence. Draghi also wanted to get rid of the unanimity requirement in foreign policy decisions. If changes require changes to the treaties, there must be readiness to do so, he outlined.
Federalism, or federal development, means increasing the Union’s competence over that of the Member States. For many, the term and its content are like a curse word or a red garment. Critics of federalization do not want to increase the EU’s powers through political decisions.
It can also be rightly argued that the coronary pandemic and the ensuing Russian war of aggression have changed the EU more than the reforms of the Treaties as a whole: groundbreaking decisions on vaccine procurement, the Recovery Fund and joint arms assistance have been taken under current EU rules.
PS The year-long work of the Conference on the Future of the EU has been completed. So the people have spoken. How would ordinary Finns reform the Union? Read more here.
Then the summing up of the EU’s sixth sanctions package and much more – the rest of the letter has been compiled by the next EU journalist Elli-Alina Hiilamo.
FACT: Good news! Unemployment in the euro area fell to a record low
IN THE LABOR MARKET therefore sanctifies well. At the same time in different parts (you switch to another service) In Europe, the trade union movement has begun to demand ever higher wage increases due to high inflation, when wages do not seem to be sufficient for the ever-rising cost of living. The demands were also reflected in the May Day marches in several European cities.
COMING SOON: Europe Day is celebrated, the twist on the sanctions package continues
Europe Day is celebrated next Monday in exceptional circumstances, in the shadow of the Ukrainian war. Europe Day is a day of peace and unity. May 9, 1950 Minister of Foreign Affairs of France Robert Schuman proposed a new kind of political cooperation for Europe that would make wars between the nations of Europe impossible. In Finland, the day is celebrated this year at Helsinki’s Oodi Library. Tip: The first 2000 partygoers will be served a cake! More about the program here. (switch to another service)
The President of France Emmanuel Macron also announces the results of the Citizens’ Conference on the Future of Europe on Europe Day. Macron is expected to outline how far France itself is prepared for far-reaching EU reforms.
Twist from the sanctions package will very likely continue next week. The sanctions package must be approved unanimously by all member states before it enters into force. Hungary and Slovakia have opposed the ban on oil imports, so there is still a long way to go. Will there be country-specific exceptions to the oil boycott? This is one question that is worth following.
EU-Japan summit will be held next week in Tokyo. Ursula Von der Leyen and President of the European Council Charles Michel make their first joint trip to East Asia. Discussions are expected to focus on three themes: security cooperation, climate and technology.
Eurovision Song Contest In Turin, Italy. The semi-finals will be held on Tuesday and Thursday, and the singing competition will culminate in Saturday’s finals. Ukraine is at the forefront of betting statistics. Do Europeans’ sympathies for Ukrainians show up in the song contest vote? And how is The Rasmus, which represents Finland, doing?
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