The European Parliament is illegitimate

[cd27]

The European Parliament is totally illegitimate?

Think about this, we have 12 or so MEPs out of around 700.

The Council of Ministers is generally 1 state 1 vote and the Commission is too, although this changes under Nice.

So the Commission initiates new law and the parliament has "co decision", given that there is no cross europe polity, but rather each country with its own politics and interests, how can the European Parliament possibly be legitimate even though based on populations?

Surely anyone opposed to handing up more power to these institutions (Lisbon) should have boycotted the European Parliament elections just gone?

and remember, no one has any interest whatsoever in what goes on in Brussels or european politics (if you can call it that).

[sauntersplash]

All parliaments are illigitimate.

[Alliance 109]

all i want to know is, will there be 1916 part deux?

[FutureTaoiseach]

It isn't illegitimate but within the balance of power of the EU the centre of gravity is too centered on the unelected Commission and ECJ. The latter has repeatedly twisted the interpretation of EU law to increase the EU's competences, known as "competence-creep". Regarding the European Parliament, it could potentially be a force for a more democratic EU, but that would require it to take more notice of national public opinion instead of "going native" in Brussels, as well as the member states allowing MEPs to initiate legislation, while retaining the requirement that for a bill to become EU law, it must also pass the Council of Ministers. The present institutional framework lacks democratic-legitimacy in the eyes of European voters, as reflected by declining turnout and the rise of Eurosceptic parties. It is also extremely corrupt, as the suppression by the Budgetary Affairs Committee of the Galvin Report demonstrates. There's too much of a cosy cartel over there, a fact also reflected in the rotation of the office of EP President and the changes to the thresholds for setting up new EP groups.

[Aindriu]

all i want to know is, will there be 1916 part deux?

Hopefully never because the 1916 uprising was a farce. Badly planned and executed, it was doomed to failure from the off.

[cd27]

slightly off topic!

[Baron von Biffo]

The European Parliament is totally illegitimate?

Bastards!

[sandar]

we lost the 1916 rising so lets not have another........

[Cael]

All parliaments based on representation are illegitimate and devices to maintain the power and privilege of the bourgeois ruling class. Direct Democracy is the only Democracy.

[Twin Towers]

All parliaments based on representation are illegitimate and devices to maintain the power and privilege of the bourgeois ruling class. Direct Democracy is the only Democracy.

Direct Democracy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Somehow I don't think you would like direct democracy very much.