What is the Matter with the EU?

As an addendum to yesterdays post, I would like to talk about what I perceive as the two essential problems of the European Union as well as about the way I think they could be resolved.

• First of all, the European Union is still too remote to its citizens. Most of the citizens do not know how the European Union is organized, how they are represented, what impact the European Union has to their daily life etc. Every five years, citizens are invited to vote for the European Parliament. Yet, with some exceptions, the candidates are generally not very well known. In addition, the European Parliament still plays a minor - although growing - role in terms of influencing EU legislative activities. Thus, the European Commission, which consists of envoys of the member state governments, proposes laws which are then passed by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union (ministers of member state governments). Such a system differs considerably from what we are used to. How shall citizens of the respective member states feel constrained to a system where they have so little to say?

• Second, member states seem to have lost track of the process of European integration. The focus now is mainly on European extension. Integration efforts often fail because member states cannot bite the bullet: they lay more interests on their own interests than on community interests. Although such an attitude is understandable, it does not advance integration. Integration, however, is important for a successful further extension. Therefore some rethinking from part of every single member state is necessary in order to assure the continued success of the European Union. Here again I think the solution is to win the support of the citizens of the respective member states by providing them with a more active role. Once they feel constrained to the European Union, they probably will support pro-European efforts of their national governments which, in turn, will prompt those national governments to act accordingly and to contribute to integrative efforts within the European Union.

In sum, I do hope that the new "basic treaty" of the European Union envisioned for 2009 will give the European citizens more opportunities to participate.