Democratize the EU!
The Democratic deficit of the EU is what puts most people off. They see unelected politicians far away in Brussels making decisions that they feel they can have no influence upon, and thus resign themselves to being sceptical of the whole European project.
The European Parliament must gain more legislative powers, and powers of legislative initiative, that currently rest with the Commission. Only then will decisions be able to be made by the representatives of the people. The European Parliament also needs Trans-European parties, so that the groupings in the European Parliament can be better held to account and so people have a clear idea of the policies that they are voting for.
However, the European Union must also do more to reach out to the citizens of the Union on a more direct and personal level. Information must be made easily available for those that want to find out more about the European Union and how they can participate. For example, how many citizens know that as a result of the Lisbon treaty signed last year they can force the Commission to bring forward a policy proposal, through the citizen's initiative? Or on an even more fundamental and grassroots level, how many citizens of the EU even know the options they have when voting for their representatives in the EP elections, what their elected representatives do after they get elected, or even who their current representative is? It is no the responsibility of the people to go searching for information about the European Union, and anyway their scepticism of politics in general will most probably stop them from doing so anyway, but the responsibility of those involved with the governance of the 500 million people of Europe, in the Commission, the Council and the European Parliament.
Only once the EU starts making itself seen in the member states, and expressing its willingness to involve the citizens of Europe in the processes of legislation and decision making, will the EU gain legitimacy and respect in the member states of the European Union.
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Comment by Roberta Akpan on March 3, 2010 at 13:27 -
To be honest your view point is that which reflects UK apathetic voters in general. More and more the blending of domestic policies and the 'If God wanted us to vote he would have given us candidates' attitude is a UK democratic crutch. You only have to look at the French's way of opposing the government by striking and protests to see that they are a very politicised people and that does back to the French revolution and overthrow of the monarchy.
Other countries know a lot more about the EU, even EIRE who have benefited widely from the EU have managed to show strength that outways there size when they rejected the Lisbon Treaty in fears of losing thier Commissioner and military neutrality etc.My point being that apathetic UK voters should turn to Europe as a haven where policies CAN take place. It's up to the domestic parties to show that actually 70% of UK legislation is made there. If they weren't so afraid of transfering power to the EU then they would fly the flag for the EU like you see all over Portugal.
In the long and short, UK ministers should stop saying things like 'British jobs for British people' and trying to set up their own EU parties with Fascists!!
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Comment by April Williamson on March 1, 2010 at 20:29 -
I agree as well, it is definately a negative thing that Europe's governing body has so little contact with the civilian. If I were to ask most people I know, they would have no idea what policies have been passed and how they affect them. If information were more readily available, I for one would defiantely take more interest.
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Comment by Harry Naio on March 1, 2010 at 17:38 -
This is absolutely on the money. The EU is not looked on favourably, as is shown by the fact that the 34% of people who voted in the European elections voted mostly for anti-Europe parties. This is dangerous and ironically detrimental to Britain. Britain is largely unable to act independently on the international stage. we need to work within the EU. The best way for the EU to be seen positively would be to democratise it.
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