A little known and badly understood role. Has the European Parliament become overly concerned about avoiding conflicts with other Community institutions or - worse still - with national governments? This is an opinion that is currently doing the rounds in European circles and which adds yet another element to reducing the - already faltering - popularity of European construction. The Parliament is the only European institution directly elected by the people. Its role and its importance are not well enough known - as the mediocre turnout for elections to it prove. Yet its powers, which were previously limited, have increased over the years so that today it has a determining role in nearly all Community decisions. If it is presented to public opinion as ineffective and weak, it's the prestige of the whole EU that suffers as a result.
Several factors contribute to the misunderstanding about the European Parliament's real weight. Some of its members let it be understood that they would prefer to be national MPs. In Denmark, the main character in a television series that is currently very popular is a female prime minister who, when defeated in the national elections, has to resign. The series' creator, Adam Price, then researched the question: what does a national leader do when he/she loses the elections? He/She goes to the European Parliament. However, Mr Price considered that “this was really too negative” and he preferred to make her choose the role of a conference speaker! This is not far from the truth - Croatia, which will become the next member of the EU in July, has now appointed its MEPs, but very few citizens turned out to elect them.
The lack of knowledge about the European Parliament's weight does not of course detract from its real powers - which have to become better known and understood. Its president, Martin Schulz, has moreover just expressed his concern about this, stressing the need for a massive debate at the next European elections in May 2014 that can contribute to making the European Parliament's importance better understood among the peoples - underlining, for example, that it will have the responsibility of appointing the future president of the European Commission (see EUROPE 10830). Several aspects will have to be clarified, including that of the current two seats (Strasbourg and Brussels).
Taking account of people's choices. It is in this complicated context that the issue of the European Parliament's political courage and real autonomy has been raised, in relation to the other institutions and the weight of national authorities. It's a case of unacceptable insinuations, in my opinion. The current composition of the European Parliament of course has to be taken into account - the people gave the majority to the centre-right (EPP), then to the socialists, liberals, ecologists and other tendencies - including a small group of eurosceptics. We will see next year if people's preferences have moved on, but for the moment, this is the situation.
What is the reality in the European Parliament - which is so often criticised because it is too far to the right? As in any chamber of representatives, the positions of the political groups differ and it happens that the majority is often able to assert positions, where the Greens, for example, protest because the protection of nature is not sufficiently taken into account. Yet often large majorities are formed, especially bringing together the EPP and socialists. And in the complex functioning of the EU, where so many interests and positions have to be reconciled, the role of the European Parliament often consists, above all, of asserting its positions in the face of other Community institutions. By using its powers in the area of the budget, the Parliament in practice determines the approach for everything because the volume of financial resources largely determines the content of common policies. I believe that for these crucial aspects, the European Parliament has behaved wisely - and still does so - contrary to certain statements that do not take account of the conduct of its debates, which deserve to be followed in detail and taken into consideration. Even the positions that remain minority ones expose and make approaches known that will then be later affirmed.
The European Parliament's decision to accept - in theory and by laying down very precise conditions - the overall volume of the 2014-2020 budgetary framework was a wise move because it takes account of the budgetary difficulties of most of the member states and encourages the crucial war against waste and abuse.
This column will come back to these aspects and to the crucial role of the European Parliament in general - including cases where it gives in to rhetoric while remaining close to reality. Let's not forget, however, that if necessary (see EUROPE 10830) the Parliament knows how to say a clear no to the Council. More tomorrow. (FR/transl.fl)