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Thursday, March 14, 2013

MEPs around Europe defy their parties on EU budget

Earlier today we looked at how UK MEPs voted on the EU budget, pointing out that Lib Dems defied the national party line (earning them a telling-off from Nick Clegg). However, we thought it would also be interesting to round up how other national delegations voted, in particular those of member states whose leaders were most insistent on imposing budgetary discipline on the EU.

Germany: Angela Merkel was instrumental in forcing through the budget cut but both her own CDU MEPs and CSU MEPs voted to "reject it in its current form", siding with their EPP group. Likewise, MEPs from her junior coalition partner, the FDP also voted against the budget. At the national level, all three parties have been steadfast in their insistence on budgetary discipline in the eurozone.

Netherlands: Dutch PM Mark Rutte was another key ally for Cameron in pushing for a cut to the budget. However, his VVD MEPs followed the ALDE leadership in voting against the budget.

Sweden: The Swedish Moderaterna MEPs remained loyal to their Prime Minister and backed the deal but in doing so had to defy the EPP group.

Finland: Despite the Finnish government being one of the strongest supporters of the deal its MEPs from the ALDE and EPP groups managed to split both ways within their groups.

Poland: PM Donald Tusk's Civic Platform party backed him and supported the deal but in the process 'rebelled' from the EPP party line.

Are certain governments regretting having given the EP more powers via the Lisbon Treaty we wonder?

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

The EU just comes across as completely undemocratic and a mess.

We need a Referendum now.

Rik said...

Will make it very easy for Merkel cs and a lot others to campaign for Europe in the next EP-election.

As if the lot themselves will pull any voters. And the likes of Wilders is not already ordering bags of salt to throw in the open wounds.

Anonymous said...

> The EU just comes across as completely undemocratic and a mess.

Dear Anonymous: the EP is elected directly and exactly as democratic as you national Parliament.

Increasing the powers of the -directly elected!- EP increased th4e EU's democratic mandate.

Anonymous said...

> the EP is elected directly and exactly as democratic as you national Parliament.

Yes, they are both undemocratic.
Disbanding the EU would be very helpful.