On Wednesday 29 January, Poland’s Minister for European Affairs, Adam Szłapka, gave his assurance that the Polish Presidency of the EU Council would do its utmost to make progress on a number of institutional issues, including the electoral rights of mobile European citizens. However, because of the “lack of appetite on the part of the Member States”, he explained to MEPs that no major advances in institutional reform to prepare the EU for the next enlargement should be expected.
“I will be frank with you. There is no appetite among the Member States to dig into institutional discussions in times of war at our borders. (...) This is the political reality”, said Mr Szłapka as he presented the Polish Presidency’s priorities to the European Parliament’s Committee on Constitutional Affairs.
Pressed on several occasions to take the initiative to overcome these difficulties, he noted that the General Affairs Council had done its duty by forwarding to the European Council, in late 2023, the European Parliament’s request for the convening of a Convention to reform the European treaties (see EUROPE 13316/27). The matter is now in the hands of the President of the European Council, António Costa, he added, convinced that much is possible with the treaties as they stand and “political will”. Evidence of this can be seen in the action taken in response to Russian military aggression against Ukraine and the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.
By the end of June, the Polish authorities will present a report on EU institutional reform exploring four areas: values, policies, budget and governance (see EUROPE 13439/8). The Council is counting on the European Commission to present a “solid, facts-based” analysis of European policies in the spring, said the minister.
For Juan Fernando López Aguilar (S&D, Spanish), a revision of the Treaties is “essential”, in particular to facilitate decision-making in the Council. “You’re telling us: For the first time, Europe is starting a process of enlargement ruling out any internal reform. It never happened in European history!”, criticised Sandro Gozi (Renew Europe, Italian).
Reinier Van Lanschot (Greens/EFA, Dutch) said he was “disappointed” by the Polish Presidency’s unwillingness to redraw the EU’s foundations, or even just update them.
In the same vein, the Polish minister predicted that the deadlock on the reform of electoral law would persist in the EU Council, “for want of unanimity” among the Member States on key elements of the legislative text (see EUROPE 13293/24). This is the case, in particular, for the creation of a single electoral constituency that would enable MEPs to be elected from transnational lists.
European political parties. Loránt Vincze (EPP, Romanian) and Charles Goerens (Renew Europe, Luxembourger) questioned the minister on the revision of the statutes of European political parties and their foundations, which is currently blocked (see EUROPE 13156/22). The question of the governance of these parties and the financing of referendum campaigns by these parties remains unresolved, noted Mr Szłapka, believing that a compromise can be reached.
The minister promised to engage in a constructive dialogue with the European Parliament on other institutional issues, such as the Parliament’s right of investigation, the transparency of the activities of interest groups and the fight against interference by third countries in the EU’s internal affairs. With regard to the EU’s accession to the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights (see EUROPE 13542/19), he announced that the Polish Presidency had decided to intensify work at a technical level. (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)