As the European Parliament prepares to negotiate with the EU Council the EU’s post-Covid-19 Economic Recovery Plan and the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2021-2027 (see EUROPE 12534/2), VoteWatch and Burson Cohn & Wolfe (BCW) Brussels published on Monday 27 July their Economic Influence Index, which ranks MEPs according to their political clout in shaping the EU’s economic policy.
Unsurprisingly, the Chairwoman of Parliament’s Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON), Irene Tinagli (S&D) from Italy, comes first, followed by MEPs Sven Giegold (Greens/EFA, Germany) and Jonás Fernández (S&D, Spain), who both sit on the ECON Committee.
In 4th and 5th positions are respectively Johan Van Overtveldt (ECR, Belgium), the Chair of Parliament’s Committee on Budgets (BUDG), and Younous Omarjee (GUE/NGL, France), the Chair of the Committee on Regional Development (REGI).
Both organisations measured the ability of MEPs to change legislation, win votes and shape debate, but also their ability to reach out to people and change public discourse.
They also observed that small Member States seemed to have “disproportionate influence” in Parliament. Portugal, Belgium, Ireland and Finland are among the most influential countries.
The “4 frugals”, on the other hand, seem to exert less political influence in Parliament than in the EU Council. Sweden is even at the bottom of the ranking.
See Economic Influence Index: https://bit.ly/3jP7q7d (Original version in French by Marion Fontana)