Conference on the future of Europe
With the participation of EU citizens like Antonia Kieper (right) and Wiktoria Tyszka-Ulezalka, the EU Commission wants to work closer to citizens.
(Photo: DPA)
Strasbourg A little over a year ago, Cologne law student Antonia Kieper received a call on her cell phone. “What is her opinion on the EU?”, asked the unknown interlocutor. She didn’t hang up right away, and that’s how she ended up sitting at the conference on the future of Europe in Strasbourg this weekend.
The conference is a grassroots experiment that the EU Commission under Ursula von der Leyen created to demonstrate closeness to the people. For eight months, 800 EU citizens like Kieper discussed with members of parliament and commissioners how the EU can become more effective and democratic.
In its last plenary session on Saturday, the conference decided on 49 reform proposals, some of which were far-reaching. Among other things, participants demand that the veto of member states in the Council of the EU be overridden on most issues.
In the future, the European Parliament should also be able to propose laws and the EU Commission should be given powers for health and education for the first time. In addition, European investments must be financed regularly through pooled loans.
Top jobs of the day
Find the best jobs now and
be notified by email.
read now
Get access to this and all other articles from
Web and in our app for free for 4 weeks.
Continue
read now
Get access to this and all other articles from
Web and in our app for free for 4 weeks.
Continue