Jim Cloos from @EUCouncil arguing that direct democracy is bad for the EU and it’s not the Commission’s job to be close to the citizen. Don’t agree but it’s interesting to have the view set out. #SOU2019
Fair criticisms of #spitzenkandidaten system: the President has no power to select his team, and Commission can only propose not do [though this is true in a way in the US as well]
Risking the old legitimacy of long-term expertise and the general interest for new legitimacy of direct election is a bad bet, says Jim Cloos. Nation states are where solutions to the crisis are to be found.
(This is an eloquent defence of the past and a criticism of the incompleteness of the present, but it’s not a plan for the future if all you’re doing is going back).
It’s not undemocratic to use codecision. It works and brings all The European political forces together. [yes, but…]
And then an eloquent defence of using citizen assemblies and more participative democracy at EU level. So I don’t understand where he’s coming from.
Originally posted as a thread of 6 tweets on Twitter on 2 May 2019. View the original thread.