Democracy Impacts

ECJ Rejects Challenge to Citizens' Initiative Response

June 04, 2018

The Court of Justice of the EU (ECJ) has rejected a legal challenge to the European Commission's (EC) refusal to take action in response to a European citizens' initiative seeking a ban on the funding of the destruction of human embryos because the binding of the EC using such a citizens petition would violate the institution's "near-monopoly on legislative initiative."
Article: Macron Struggles to Find Broad Audience for EU Vision

June 01, 2018

The Economist has published an article asserting that intra-EU mistrust and caution have meant that the broad, reformist EU vision of French President Emmanuel Macron has largely fallen on deaf ears, other than his desires for short-term protectionism of European industry and its labor force.
Investigators Identify "Strong Suspicion" of PACE Corruption

June 01, 2018

AFP reports that external investigators of alleged corruption at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) have established a "strong suspicion" that certain governments, including that of Azerbaijan, doled out lavish gifts, including caviar and luxury hotel stays, to prevent the adoption of a critical report on the status of political prisoners.
Committee Seeks More "Political Ambition" in EU Budget

May 23, 2018

The European Economic and Social Committee recently hosted a meeting at which its leaders criticized the European Commission's proposal for a post-2020 EU budget as lacking "political ambition," calling for a budget increase despite Brexit and pushing for "greater conditionality" for access to EU funding.
UK House of Lords Pushes for EU Customs Membership

May 23, 2018

The BBC reports on the recent vote of the UK House of Lords to amend the government's EU withdrawal bill to require officials to inform Parliament about the steps they have taken to negotiate the UK's continued membership in a customs union with the EU after Brexit.
Legislators Criticize Closed Process for EC Appointment

May 22, 2018

The European Parliament has adopted a report calling on the European Commission (EC) to reassess the appointment of Martin Selmayr as the EC's Secretary-General, finding that the process of his selection was not transparent but rejecting an amendment calling for Selmayr to relinquish his title pending any such review.
EP Approves Measure on Party Transparency

May 22, 2018

The European Parliament (EP) has approved a set of proposals requiring greater transparency in EU-wide elections, including a requirement that national political parties include on their websites the logo and platform of their European affiliate and the "gender balance" of the party's membership in the EP.
Activists Criticize Report on EP Allowances

May 21, 2018

Politico reports that transparency advocates are dismissing as "wholly inadequate" recommendations contained in a European Parliament (EP) report suggesting reforms to an allowance distributed each month to EP Members, calling on the EU institution to require a full accounting of expenditures made using the allowance.
Macron Targets Nationalism as EU Foe

May 18, 2018

Reuters reports on the contents of a recent speech by President Emmanuel Macron to the European Parliament, outlining his vision for a shared "European sovereignty" through EU institutions to combat growing nationalist movements, which he blamed for "tearing Europe apart."
Hungarian PM Prioritizes Retaining "Europe of Nations"

May 11, 2018

Reuters reports that, following his recent re-election, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban vowed to resist the construction of a "United States of Europe," instead seeking a "Europe of nations" adhering to the principle of national sovereignty.