European People's Party
The EU Parliament must co-decide on common decisions. It is not sufficient to say, national Governments are democratically legitimized and that is why we do not need the EU Parliament any more. This would mean turning back the clocks in Europe by decades. The EPP Group in the European Parliament has been the driving force in setting the right rules. We have improved the Stability and Growth Pact. We are the architects of the Banking Union. Next to our direct role as legislator, we hold regular monetary dialogues with Commissioners, the European Central Bank President, European Stability Mechanism representatives was well as national ministers and are furthermore in dialogue with International Monetary Fund representatives. We thus provide accountability for the decisions taken at EU level. In the short-term, mechanisms like the Troika needs internal rules of procedure to increase the transparency of decision-making. In the long-term, Troika's work should be carried out by a new European Monetary Fund on the basis of EU law. This ensures that European decisions on the reform and aid programmes are democratically legitimised and subject to parliamentarian scrutiny
Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament
Yes. There is a huge lack of democracy concerning the decision making processes in the European Institutions, especially since the beginning of the crisis. The economic and fiscal policies of the European Union have had little scrutiny, no democratic control, despite their catastrophic effects on the lives of so many of its citizens. Council should not be able to sidestep democratic parliamentary procedure as has happened on the Fiscal Compact for example.
- The activities of extremely influential bodies such as the Troika that monitors the implementation of so-called bailout programmes in several EU countries must be brought under democratic supervision in the European Parliament.
- Similarly, we have long called for a democratisation of the ECB with MEPs retaining monitoring powers over its activities.
European United Left–Nordic Green Left
Yes. There is a huge lack of democracy concerning the decision making processes in the European Institutions, especially since the beginning of the crisis. The economic and fiscal policies of the European Union have had little scrutiny, no democratic control, despite their catastrophic effects on the lives of so many of its citizens. Council should not be able to sidestep democratic parliamentary procedure as has happened on the Fiscal Compact for example.
- The activities of extremely influential bodies such as the Troika that monitors the implementation of so-called bailout programmes in several EU countries must be brought under democratic supervision in the European Parliament.
- Similarly, we have long called for a democratisation of the ECB with MEPs retaining monitoring powers over its activities.
* Greeklish.info has asked all the political groups for an interview
