Alfred Sant: Il-Parlament Ewropew huwa esponent effettiv ta’ setgħa ta’ persważjoni tal-Unjoni Ewropea

Il-Kap tad-Delegazzjoni tal-Partit Laburista fil-Grupp Soċjalista u Demokratiku (S&D) fil-Parlament Ewropew Alfred Sant enfasizza kif il-parlament għadda minn bidliet importanti mill-bidu tat-twaqqif tiegħu fl-1952.

F’podcast minn Strasburgu fl-okkażjoni tas-70 anniversarju tal-Parlament Ewropew, huwa nnota li b’kuntrast mal-Assemblea Komuni tal-Komunità Ewropea tal-Faħam u l-Azzar (ECSC) li kienet tinkludi membri parlamentari maħtura sebgħin sena ilu mill-parlamenti nazzjonali ta’ kull Stat Membru, il-Parlament Ewropew illum għandu aktar minn 700 membru eletti direttament minn kull Stat Membru kull ħames snin.

Il-Membri Parlamentari Ewropej fakkru l-ħolqien tal- Assemblea Komuni tal-Komunità Ewropea tal-Faħam u l-Azzar fl-1952. Fl-1958, wara l-ħolqien tal-Komunità Ekonomika Ewropea u l-Komunità Ewropea tal-Enerġija Atomika,  l-Assemblea Komuni tal-Komunità Ewropea tal-Faħam u l-Azzar ġiet imkabbra u ssemmiet mill-ġdid l-“Assemblea Parlamentari Ewropea”. Fl-1962, ħadet l-isem “Parlament Ewropew”.

Alfred Sant sostna li waħda mill-aktar bidliet profondi li għadda minnhom il-Parlament Ewropew f’dawn l-aħħar 70 sena kienet iż-żieda gradwali fil-poteri tiegħu, b’mod partikolari l-adozzjoni ta’ setgħat leġiżlattivi u baġitarji sostanzjali. Madanakollu, huwa saħaq li kif inhi s-sitwazzjoni attwali l-aktar poteri importanti ta’ teħid ta’ deċiżjonijiet fl-Unjoni Ewropea għadhom f’idejn il-Kunsill tal-Ministri. Ħafna Membri Parlamentari Ewropej iridu li l-Parlament Ewropew ikollu firxa akbar ta’ poteri permezz ta’ reviżjoni tat-trattati tal-Unjoni Ewropea, huwa żied jgħid. Min-naħa l-oħra, il-maġġoranza tal-Istati Membri Ewropej ma jaqblux ma dan. Il-Membri Parlamentari Ewropej  għadhom meqjusa bħala li jaġixxu bħala parti mill-bużżieqa ta’ Brussell, li żżommhom ‘il bogħod mir-realtà li qed jiffaċċjaw iċ-ċittadini Ewropej.

Il-Membru Parlamentari Ewropew Laburista nnota li waqt iċ-ċerimonja saret ħafna enfasi fuq l-implimentazzjoni tal-valuri demokratiċi Ewropej iżda ftit saret referenza għal kif u jekk il-Parlament Ewropew iħossux qrib biżżejjed taċ-ċittadini Ewropej. Madanakollu, Sant saħaq li meta mqabbel ma’ istituzzjonijiet oħra Ewropej, fis-sebgħin sena ta’ eżistenza tagħhom, il-Parlament Ewropew illum jista’ jitqies bħala l-aktar esponent effettiv tas-setgħa ta’ persważjoni li għandha l-Unjoni Ewropea fost in-nazzjonijiet. 

Alfred Sant: The European Parliament is an effective exponent of the European Union’s soft power

The Head of the Labour Party Delegation at the Socialist and Democratic Group (S&D) at the European Parliament Alfred Sant highlighted how the parliament has undergone important changes since its inception in 1952. 

In a podcast from Strasbourg on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the European Parliament, he noted that by contrast to the Common Assembly of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) which comprised parliamentarians appointed seventy years ago from the national parliaments of each Member State, the European Parliament today has over 700 members elected directly from each Member State every five years.

MEPs commemorated the creation of the ECSC in 1952. In 1958, following the creation of the European Economic Community and the European Atomic Energy Community, the Common Assembly of the ECSC was enlarged and renamed the “European Parliamentary Assembly”. In 1962, it adopted the name “European Parliament”.

Alfred Sant claimed that one of the most profound changes the European Parliament has undergone in the last 70 years was the gradual increase in its powers, in particular the adoption of substantial legislative and budgetary powers. However, he emphasized that as the current situation stands the most important decision-making powers in the European Union are still vested within the Council of Ministers. Many MEPs want the European Parliament to have a greater reach through a revision of the European Union treaties, he added. On the other hand, the majority of European Member States do not share the same sentiment. MEPs are still considered as acting within the Brussels bubble, which keeps them at a distance from the reality European citizens are facing.

The Labour MEP noted that during the ceremony much emphasis was placed on the implementation of European democratic values but little reference was made to how and if the European Parliament feels close enough to European citizens. However, Sant emphasized that in comparision with other European institutions, at age 70, the European Parliament can today be considered as the most effective exponent of the soft power that the European Union has among nations.