2.11.05

Slovak president joins sceptics on European Parliament

The Slovak president has joined Czech and Finnish colleagues in calling for a major overhaul of the European Parliament

Speaking to German daily Die Welt, Ivan Gasparovic suggested the European Parliament in its current form was a "mammoth" and should rather consist of national MPs.

"I see the biggest problem [as being] in the relationship between the European Parliament and national parliaments", he said, adding that having MEPs who also sit in national assemblies would mean that the Brussels institution would deal with the real concerns of citizens.

Mr Gasparovic argued the plenary session would in that case only need to be held four times a year in Strasbourg, with no need for the Brussels or Luxembourg seats

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Meanwhile, Czech president Vaclav Klaus is promoting the concept of an "Organization of European States" whose members would be individual member states rather than their citizens, represented directly through institutions such as the current European Parliament.


[fonte EU Observer]