Brussels, 09/04/2013 (Agence Europe) - The European Parliament's economic and monetary affairs committee has invited the troika (European Commission, ECB and IMF) of lenders to struggling eurozone nations to set out what it is doing and why on Thursday 25 April 2013.
Changes to the eurozone's stability and growth pact gives MEPs the power to scrutinise players involved in European economic governance. The technocrat members of the troika, often caricatured as the “men in black”, are accused of having no direct democratic legitimacy and yet putting too much pressure on governments of countries in receipt of financial aid to get them to impose unpopular austerity measures.
It makes more sense than ever to ensure a public debate on macroeconomic governance in the EU, says the committee chair, Sharon Bowles (ALDE, UK), adding that “the decision-making process of recent weeks regarding Cyprus is of particular concern. The impression has emerged in public that EU member states are not always treated fairly, and the lack of transparency and conflicting messages have reinforced that impression”. (MB/transl.fl)