The wind is changing in Europe. After the disaster of Brexit, citizens are more aware than ever of the need for a stronger Europe. A new European momentum is gathering. But for it to get traction, we need to live up to voters’ expectations with actions, not just words.
After this fall’s elections in Germany and Austria, we will have no more excuse for delay and only 18 months left to deliver before the European election in 2019.
The European Union needs to update its core functioning.
We don’t just want abstract “scenarios” for the future of the European Union. We care about substance, and we expect — we demand — that [European Commisson President Jean-Claude] Juncker show courage and vision in his State of the Union address on September 13.
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.
Deepening democracy would also make economic governance more effective and transparent.
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.
Deepening democracy would also make economic governance more effective and transparent. The establishment of a eurozone finance ministry that is accountable to the Parliament to make resources available for growth is another necessary step in this direction. We need accountable politicians, not obscure troikas or bureaucrats in charge of the economy.
Gianni Pittella, leader of the group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament | Adem Altan/AFP via Getty Images
Juncker should also put forward an ambitious proposal on resources to increase the EU budget. On the one hand, the EU is called on to take on more and more tasks. On the other, member countries are calling for cuts to the EU budget. This is no longer acceptable.
If we want to live up to people’s expectations, the EU must also be at the forefront of the battle for democracy within its own ranks.
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.
The same can be said for the EU’s approach to migration. We must change our vision of Africa, from a continent of problems to a continent of opportunities.
We should look to Africa as a real partner. Together, we must develop opportunities for investments, defend human rights, and promote education and democracy.
Simply managing illegal migration — which should be done in full respect of international law — is not enough. We also need to create legal channels for migration, especially for unaccompanied minors. In doing so, we must also substantially reform the Dublin Treaty, under which refugees must apply for asylum in the first EU country they reach. This reform is currently bogged down in the Council.
There is also a great deal of work to be done when it comes to terrorism. The attacks that have rocked the Continent are the result of, among other things, failed integration, geopolitical changes and a lack of cooperation at the intelligence level between member countries. The EU urgently needs to pave the way for the establishment of a federal European intelligence system to prevent future attacks.
Broken glass and blood is seen beside signage outside an entrance to Maelbeek metro station following a March 2016 terrorist attack in Brussels | Carl Court/Getty Images
Trade is perhaps the most important area where the EU must show its citizens that it has learned from past mistakes.
We must put a stop to naive support for neoliberal globalization. Europe needs to be bolder and adopt an effective shield against opportunistic investments, in particular from China.
The Commission urgently needs to step in. The future of European industry and manufacturing is at stake. There should be no ambiguity on the fact that China is not a market economy, and Europe should apply very rigorous anti-dumping regulation to guard against it.
Europe should become the most advanced laboratory in the world for a sustainable economy. This also means leading the global efforts for an ambitious implementation of the Paris agreement.
The future of Europe will depend on our ability to deliver real change in the next 18 months.
The EU can’t forget about its social pillar. The Commission has not been consistent enough on its social policies and must take concrete steps to guarantee that all children living in poverty benefit from free medical care, free education, decent housing and a proper diet. The Commission must deliver a proposal on decent working conditions for all forms of employment. Every worker should have access to a core set of labor and social rights, including in the digital economy.
The future of Europe will depend on our ability to deliver real change in the next 18 months.
Gianni Pittella is the leader of the group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament.