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> The European Parliament has no real power. The European Parliament elects the European Commission and can force its resignation through a vote of no confiden

> The European Parliament has no real power. The European Parliament elects the European Commission and can force its resignation through a vote of no confidence (the latter happened to the Santer Commission). Jean-Claude Juncker technically has more democratic legitimacy than David Cameron; he was elected by a number of representatives standing for a majority of the electorate. Practically all EU legislation requires a majority in the European Parliament and a qualified majority in the Council of the European Union (the upper house of the EU legislature, which represents the democratically elected governments of the member states). The problem is that democratic legitimacy alone does not functioning institutions make. > The legislative and executive powers of the union are held by the council of Europe which isn't an elected body. The Council of Europe [1] is an intergovernmental body that has nothing to do with the EU. If you mean the Council of the European Union, that is (as mentioned above) the upper house of the legislature, but has no executive powers (those lie with the Commission and the member states) and all its members represent the democratically elected governments of the member states. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Council_of_Europe https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Council_of_Europe

dogma1138 11y ago
Yes i did mean the council of the European Union, but sorry you are completely wrong on everything else. The Parliament has only a say on 1 of the 28 commission members the which is the president and even then it's not elected by them. The president is nominated by the council, and confirmed by the parliament. This is similar to how supreme justices are confirmed by the senate in the US however the EUP has much less power over that confirmation. The rest of the 27 members are appointed directly by the council. You can say that the EU as a whole is actually non-democratic all of the power de-jure and de-facto lies within the council, the council represents the executive branches of the EU members, you can even make an argument that the EU actually undermines the democratic process in other countries as it gives their executive branch a possible legislative power which they do not have directly in their own country. The executive branches set up the council, the council has direct control over the legislative and executive powers of the union which means they can pass laws which might have implications on EU member states (especially if the state has decided to subdue itself to EU law in it's constitution, cough Sweden cough) in a manner that the executive branch of those states would not have agency on.
- rbehrends 11y ago
  > Yes i did mean the council of the European Union and on the Council of Europe, but sorry you are completely wrong on everything else. The Parliament has only a say on 1 of the 28 commission members the which is the president and even then it's not elected by them. No, the European Parliament elects the entire European Commission; it just has to be an up-or-down vote on the entire Commission, but cannot vote for individual commissioners, though last year one Commissioner was replaced after the confirmation hearings and another had his portfolio cut. The European Council nominates a candidate for President of the Commission; that person than selects candidates for the Commissioners, one from each member state. The European Parliament than holds confirmation hearings, may suggest adjustments to the Commission, and then holds a vote on the Commission in its entirety. > The president is nominated by the council, and confirmed by the parliament. First, the Commission President is not nominated by the Council of the EU. He is nominated by the European Council, which is not the same as the Council of the EU. Second, the British PM is appointed by the British Monarch and is not even confirmed or elected; the German chancellor is nominated by the German president and then confirmed (or not) by the German parliament. > This is similar to how supreme justices are confirmed by the senate in the US however the EUP has much less power over that confirmation. No, this is how election of the head of government works in most parliamentary democracies, which is what the EU system is modeled after. > The executive branches set up the council Which is how the upper house is commonly set up in a federal system; it represents the states and the representatives are often selected by their executives.1 > the council has direct control over the legislative and executive powers of the union which means they can pass laws which might have implications on EU member states The Council of the EU cannot pass laws without the European Parliament (the Council of the EU is only the upper house of the EU legislature). It does not have any power over the European Commission, which is the executive (i.e. the equivalent of a cabinet) in the EU. Please, do read up on how the EU actually functions and do not go by second-hand sources.
  - dogma1138 11y ago
    >No, the European Parliament elects the entire European Commission; it just has to be an up-or-down vote on the entire Commission, but cannot vote for individual commissioners, though last year one Commissioner was replaced after the confirmation hearings and another had his portfolio cut Again that is simply not correct, here is Article 17 for you to read again. Taking into account the elections to the European Parliament and after having held the appropriate consultations, the European Council, acting by a qualified majority, shall propose to the European Parliament a candidate for President of the Commission. This candidate shall be elected by the European Parliament by a majority of its component members. If he does not obtain the required majority, the European Council, acting by a qualified majority, shall within one month propose a new candidate who shall be elected by the European Parliament following the same procedure. The Council, by common accord with the President-elect, shall adopt the list of the other persons whom it proposes for appointment as members of the Commission. They shall be selected, on the basis of the suggestions made by Member States, in accordance with the criteria set out in paragraph 3, second subparagraph, and paragraph 5, second subparagraph. The President, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and the other members of the Commission shall be subject as a body to a vote of consent by the European Parliament. On the basis of this consent the Commission shall be appointed by the European Council, acting by a qualified majority. >The president is nominated by the council, and confirmed by the parliament. Again not correct see Article 17 above. The rest is nonsense, you are confusing ceremonial roles like the Queen appointing the head of the majority party to form the Government to the EU Council actually selecting the President and all the Members. >This is similar to how supreme justices are confirmed by the senate in the US however the EUP has much less power over that confirmation Not this isn't how state elections work, the Government doesn't select the Government, which appoints the Government. >The executive branches set up the council The Council isn't the upper house of the EU Parliament it's a completely separate body. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Institutions_of_the_European_Union#/media/File:Political_System_of_the_European_Union.svg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Institutions_of_the_European_U... >The Council of the EU cannot pass laws without the European Parliament (the Council of the EU is only the upper house of the EU legislature). It does not have any power over the European Commission, which is the executive (i.e. the equivalent of a cabinet) in the EU. http://www.europarl.europa.eu/aboutparliament/en/20150201PVL00004/Legislative-powers http://www.europarl.europa.eu/aboutparliament/en/20150201PVL... They can jointly and separately adopt laws however only laws that are adopted by the council are actually turned into EU directives which is required for laws to have any effect on member states. >Please, do read up on how the EU actually functions and do not go by second-hand sources. Please do.

dogma1138 11y ago

Yes i did mean the council of the European Union, but sorry you are completely wrong on everything else. The Parliament has only a say on 1 of the 28 commission members the which is the president and even then it's not elected by them. The president is nominated by the council, and confirmed by the parliament. This is similar to how supreme justices are confirmed by the senate in the US however the EUP has much less power over that confirmation. The rest of the 27 members are appointed directly by the council. You can say that the EU as a whole is actually non-democratic all of the power de-jure and de-facto lies within the council, the council represents the executive branches of the EU members, you can even make an argument that the EU actually undermines the democratic process in other countries as it gives their executive branch a possible legislative power which they do not have directly in their own country. The executive branches set up the council, the council has direct control over the legislative and executive powers of the union which means they can pass laws which might have implications on EU member states (especially if the state has decided to subdue itself to EU law in it's constitution, cough Sweden cough) in a manner that the executive branch of those states would not have agency on.

rbehrends 11y ago
> Yes i did mean the council of the European Union and on the Council of Europe, but sorry you are completely wrong on everything else. The Parliament has only a say on 1 of the 28 commission members the which is the president and even then it's not elected by them. No, the European Parliament elects the entire European Commission; it just has to be an up-or-down vote on the entire Commission, but cannot vote for individual commissioners, though last year one Commissioner was replaced after the confirmation hearings and another had his portfolio cut. The European Council nominates a candidate for President of the Commission; that person than selects candidates for the Commissioners, one from each member state. The European Parliament than holds confirmation hearings, may suggest adjustments to the Commission, and then holds a vote on the Commission in its entirety. > The president is nominated by the council, and confirmed by the parliament. First, the Commission President is not nominated by the Council of the EU. He is nominated by the European Council, which is not the same as the Council of the EU. Second, the British PM is appointed by the British Monarch and is not even confirmed or elected; the German chancellor is nominated by the German president and then confirmed (or not) by the German parliament. > This is similar to how supreme justices are confirmed by the senate in the US however the EUP has much less power over that confirmation. No, this is how election of the head of government works in most parliamentary democracies, which is what the EU system is modeled after. > The executive branches set up the council Which is how the upper house is commonly set up in a federal system; it represents the states and the representatives are often selected by their executives.1 > the council has direct control over the legislative and executive powers of the union which means they can pass laws which might have implications on EU member states The Council of the EU cannot pass laws without the European Parliament (the Council of the EU is only the upper house of the EU legislature). It does not have any power over the European Commission, which is the executive (i.e. the equivalent of a cabinet) in the EU. Please, do read up on how the EU actually functions and do not go by second-hand sources.
- dogma1138 11y ago
  >No, the European Parliament elects the entire European Commission; it just has to be an up-or-down vote on the entire Commission, but cannot vote for individual commissioners, though last year one Commissioner was replaced after the confirmation hearings and another had his portfolio cut Again that is simply not correct, here is Article 17 for you to read again. Taking into account the elections to the European Parliament and after having held the appropriate consultations, the European Council, acting by a qualified majority, shall propose to the European Parliament a candidate for President of the Commission. This candidate shall be elected by the European Parliament by a majority of its component members. If he does not obtain the required majority, the European Council, acting by a qualified majority, shall within one month propose a new candidate who shall be elected by the European Parliament following the same procedure. The Council, by common accord with the President-elect, shall adopt the list of the other persons whom it proposes for appointment as members of the Commission. They shall be selected, on the basis of the suggestions made by Member States, in accordance with the criteria set out in paragraph 3, second subparagraph, and paragraph 5, second subparagraph. The President, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and the other members of the Commission shall be subject as a body to a vote of consent by the European Parliament. On the basis of this consent the Commission shall be appointed by the European Council, acting by a qualified majority. >The president is nominated by the council, and confirmed by the parliament. Again not correct see Article 17 above. The rest is nonsense, you are confusing ceremonial roles like the Queen appointing the head of the majority party to form the Government to the EU Council actually selecting the President and all the Members. >This is similar to how supreme justices are confirmed by the senate in the US however the EUP has much less power over that confirmation Not this isn't how state elections work, the Government doesn't select the Government, which appoints the Government. >The executive branches set up the council The Council isn't the upper house of the EU Parliament it's a completely separate body. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Institutions_of_the_European_Union#/media/File:Political_System_of_the_European_Union.svg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Institutions_of_the_European_U... >The Council of the EU cannot pass laws without the European Parliament (the Council of the EU is only the upper house of the EU legislature). It does not have any power over the European Commission, which is the executive (i.e. the equivalent of a cabinet) in the EU. http://www.europarl.europa.eu/aboutparliament/en/20150201PVL00004/Legislative-powers http://www.europarl.europa.eu/aboutparliament/en/20150201PVL... They can jointly and separately adopt laws however only laws that are adopted by the council are actually turned into EU directives which is required for laws to have any effect on member states. >Please, do read up on how the EU actually functions and do not go by second-hand sources. Please do.