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T
his site of our website is dedicated to the people who are anxious about the future of the EU.

MESSY THOUGTS ON THE EU

ECPRD Conference, Athens, 5-6 October 2017
Here you may find the primary version of the above presentation which was recognized as potentially too controversial for some participants of the ECPRD conference:

I
do believe that we gather here - in the cradle of the European democracy - as independent experts who despite the differences in their political views are still able to retain cool objectivity. To avoid possible objections against some theses, in my presentation you can find only well documented facts, quotations from original and officially published documents as well as, maybe controversial but real, politicians’ statements. I just want to draw your attention to the fact that most of today’s financial or economic problems have arisen from strictly political reasons. We are not able to analyze past, mitigate current and avoid future financial crises in isolation from realpolitik.
As usually, I just propose you to focus on the real challenges facing the Europe Union and European community. Perhaps you may agree that delusions of the European integrity and solidarity have dispelled. Today, the European politicians go their separate ways. But what about us, the citizens and our great expectations for living in peace and prosperity? Unfortunately, most of the old problems have been unsolved. What is worse, in addition to the old threats the new ones have appeared. In consequence, the question about the future shape of the European Union has become hot topic.
As we are aware, the demands for treaty revision have re-emerged on the EU agenda. However, any future reform would have to deal with the revision procedure like the unanimity requirement or powerful vetoes of some member states during ratification. The alternatives have significant political costs and effects. In meantime, the process of European integration has led to a transfer of legislative power not only from the national to the European level, but also from parliament to the executive. Democratically elected institutions at the national level are often bypassed in the decision-making process. The financial and debt crisis has reinforced this trend. Budgetary authority, a key prerogative of parliaments, is increasingly subject to influence from EU institutions; within and outside the EU legal framework. Moreover, in terms of formal and effective rights participation of parliaments in the management of the crisis, has been very uneven. As a result, the crisis has reinforced the gap between stronger and ‘second class’ parliaments in the EU.
This remark also concerns the powers of the European Parliament which are reduced by the Lisbon Treaty in the annual negotiations on the EU budget. Compared with the previous rules, the rules of the Lisbon Treaty have reduced the amounts available to spend. The budget becomes more inflexible. At the same time, the EU fiscal and economic demands, specifically covered by the European Semester, have had an impact on national social policies, essentially broadening the scope of stricter surveillance beyond economic issues. Reducing public expenditure often results in limiting entitlements in the social domain, and calls for structural reforms mostly entail amending labor law and worker’s protection .
Do the member states still have leeway to develop alternative policies, specifically in the area of pensions, wages or unemployment? Have the member states got the rights to contest EU level analyses and recommendations, as well as proposed or even implemented alternative policies?


Fragment of a speech which was delivered by Andrzej S. Wójtowicz on 5th of October 2017 during the ECPRD conference in Athens



ECPRD Conference, Warsaw, 28-29 May 2015

Full text of address: The EU at the Crossroads. Who Cares about the EU's Future?

I
would like to touch a very important but sensitive problems of the democratic legitimacy and accountability in the area of economic governance in the EU and the role and responsibility of national parliaments. I intend to put some, more or less provocative questions on some challenges which we are facing like other analysts. The experiences of the last years have demonstrated that in many cases the activities of the European supervision bodies are ineffective, incoherent and non-transparent. In confrontation of the tremendous unemployment, depletion of private savings, bankruptcy of thousands of companies and shortage of states funds for providing social services to the citizens, the policymakers are not looking for the answer to the question what it should be done to address the problem and rescue the EU as a whole but trying to save their offices in the name of national interests and for electors’ sake. In effect of selfish attitudes of some member states to the problems of the rest EU, many countries already suffer economic recession and social unrest…..
Perhaps you agree that the specialists and their wisdom advises are the greatest and most valuable assets there are in any parliaments. As the advisors to the Parliamentarians, you share a fundamental role in the process of undertaking political decisions and in enacting law. Perhaps you may agree that in today’s global circumstances, a crisis somewhere, becoming a crisis everywhere. So it makes a doubts of traditional views of national interest. We can't have a coherent view of national interest today without a coherent view of the European community. This can't be done easily unless it is done on basis of the European solidarity and understanding the mortal threats to our peace and prosperity. Today, after all the turmoil and disagreement of the past few years, there is a real opportunity to bring our countries together. Our national self-interest may be delivered through effective communal action. All of us have an interest in stability and a fear of chaos. That's the impact of interdependence….
So, what is our role as an experts or advisors to decision-makers? To meet effectively the challenge that faces our countries and whole Europe, we should propose a pre-emptive and not simply reactive remedies. Of course, none of us will not eliminate the, inconsistencies and hypocrisies that come with practical decision-making in a harsh world of real politik.
Dear colleagues, perhaps you know the old African proverb which says: “If you want to walk fast, walk alone. If you want to walk far, walk together”. I believe this epitomises the modern partnership between the member states of the EU: working together to secure mutual benefit for themselves and entire Europe.

Fragment of a speech which was delivered by Andrzej S. Wójtowicz on 28th of May 2015 during the ECPRD conference in Warsaw


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