To speak frankly, the real problem in the EU is the European Council, which far too often wields the veto that undermines the decisions taken by the European Commission and the Parliament.
Revising the EU’s treaties to address this can no longer be taboo. The EU’s structure needs to change if we want more democracy and better balance in how we function.
The Commission must adopt extraordinary measures to overcome this stalemate. The Parliament is ready to throw its institutional and democratic weight behind this battle for change. Confronted with a sluggish Council, the Commission and Parliament should work together to establish an alliance to strengthen democracy.
We stand for an EU that is more independent from national governments and directly empowered by European citizens through the concept of the Spitzenkandidaten process — whereby a directly elected European Parliament has a greater say over the appointment of the European Commission president and his Collegium of Commissioners, increasing the accountability of the EU institutions. [...]
The Hungarian and Polish governments want to transform their democracies into illiberal regimes. We cannot turn a blind eye to countries that diminish the rule of law in Europe. The Commission should be prepared to act, using all tools foreseen in the treaties. The credibility of European democracy depends on its commitment to its fundamental values. No compromise on them should be allowed.
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