All things new? Future conference aims to get the EU going

For many, Brussels is far away and the European Union is an opaque apparatus.

Now the citizens should have a say in reform proposals.

But do you really have something to say?

Strasbourg (dpa) - The European Union is starting a new attempt to get closer to the citizens, more democratic and faster.

Politicians and citizens began the work of the conference on the future of Europe with a plenary session in Strasbourg on Saturday and evoked the will to reform.

Concrete proposals are to be drawn up by spring 2022.

The EU states and the European Parliament then decide whether and how they are implemented.

“What works, what has to change?

How can we create a Union that is fit for the next few decades? ”Asked one of the chairmen of the conference, Belgian MEP Guy Verhofstadt.

It is about how European values ​​can be preserved, how democratic decisions can be accelerated and vetoes in the EU can be overcome, said the liberal.

What is meant is the fact that, above all, decisions in foreign and tax policy are made unanimously by the 27 EU countries.

So every government has a right of veto.

Many EU parliamentarians want to overcome this principle.

Overall, they want parliament to have more influence as a democratically elected institution, including when it comes to filling top EU posts.

When selecting EU Commission head Ursula von der Leyen, Parliament was slowed down in 2019.

Von der Leyen therefore promised the reform debate.

The future conference was then prepared.

Many of the more than 150 speakers said on Saturday how important it is for citizens to participate in the future conference.

Dozens of citizens had their say, some in the hall of the European Parliament and some online, and named the topics that are important to them, including climate protection, migration, jobs, prosperity, free travel and study exchanges.

People in Europe can contribute to the conference via an internet platform and, for example, organize discussions themselves.

In addition, there should be citizens' forums, which in turn send representatives to the plenary with representatives from the EU institutions and national parliaments.

The next plenary session is scheduled for October 22nd and 23rd.

How the renewal will be in principle is open.

If fundamental principles such as the distribution of power between the EU institutions are touched, the EU treaties may have to be amended.

Some EU states shy away from this because ratification sometimes requires referendums and the outcome would be unpredictable.

Any reforms could probably be made in the current legal framework, said the Portuguese European Minister Ana Paula Zacarias at the opening event.

“We can use the current system.” Portugal currently holds the EU Presidency.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, the influence of the European Parliament is already going too far.

The right-wing head of government demanded in Budapest on Saturday that the national parliaments of the EU states should be given the right to stop legislative processes in the EU parliament if national competences could be violated.

"The EU Parliament has proven to be a dead end when it comes to criteria for European democracy," said Orban.

MEPs angered Orban because in 2018 they voted for a rule of law procedure against Hungary under Article 7 of the EU Treaties.

This is initiated when a country endangers EU core values.

© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210619-99-59689 / 3