Essay Instructions: please after reading the text answer the following questions in the form of short essays and please make sure you make good arguments. AND SUPPORT YOUR ARGUMENTS I WAS WELL STRUCTURED ANSWERS PLEASE.
Questions
(You have to answer to the following questions. Justify your answers with arguments and examples. )
1. Based on the information given in the text, do you consider that today there is an estrangement from the citizens about the European Union ? (5 points).
2. What could be the arguments for a Euro-skeptic to convince citizens of a member State to leave the European Union ? (5 points)
3. Do you think the new process implemented by the Treaty of Lisbon for the European elections would change something ? (5 points)
4. what kind of Europe would you like to have ? (5 points).
Text:
Between Euro-skepticism and politicization: Which issues for the European elections ? (December 2013)
When year 2013 was nominated «European year of citizen», the estrangement from the citizens and the European Union has never been so deep. In this context, several European officials would politicize the campaign of the next European elections. Thus, would it be the start of a reconciliation with the citizens about the European project ?
The European elections which will stand between the 22sd and 25th of May 2014 seem to be pretty risky. And with good reason. All ingredients are gathered together to have an increase of Euro-skepticism : an economic crisis which lasts, the damaging of the European Union picture, elections considered as secondary generating a huge abstention and encouraging the citizens to report their frustration from the national to the European level. This phenomenon is amplified by the trend of some European members States to consider the European Union as the source of their failures, and their nation as the source of their success, considering the European Union as the unique source of the current troubles.
The rising of the Euro-skeptics will not prevent the Commission from working.
Even if the chances to have a European Parliament with a majority of Euro-skeptics are nonexistent, the European ballot is the addition of 28 national elections. Each country will have a number of seats based on the size of its population. With this system, the weight of the nationalist parties, which by definition can only be on a national level, is automatically decreased within the European Parliament in aid of the pro-Europeans, implemented in the whole of the member States and united on the European level.
However, these new Euro-skeptics gather together a plethora of ideologies. Thus it is very difficult to reach an agreement, which tends in fact to more isolate them. These past few days, the European far right party tries to get organized : the French Front National and the Party for the Dutch freedom have announced on November 13th, 2013, their intention to reach an agreement for the European elections in order to form a group in the European Parliament. For this, they will have to gather 25 deputies coming from minimum
7 different nationalities.
According to Jean-Yves CAMUS, this attempt of agreement is fragile, considering that
«these alliances in quick succession often shatter». The arising of Euro-skeptics won’t deeply change the map-making of the European Parliament. «There will ever be a satisfactory majority to defend the European cause, but in more difficult circumstances than in the past», indicated the President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy.
Paradoxically, the European project could benefit of this membership crisis from the citizens. It would be the opportunity to reaffirm its values and send a strong message to its critics. «The anti-European feeling is getting stronger. It should encourage the political parties to assume their European message» argues Anni Podimata, Vice-President of the European Parliament.
Politicize to interest ?
Would be the European elections enough to inspire this dynamic ? This is what thinks the majority of the European officials, who, to counter the Euro-skepticism, defends the organization of elections. These elections should be more European, more political, and more interesting, able to produce a political identification from the citizens.
Already in 2004, many people requested, with no success, to politicize the ballot whereas the European Union welcomed 10 new member States. But, in 2014, everything could be different. This time, the politicization of the elections has been suggested by the Treaty of Lisbon. It introduced the double nomination of the European Commission and the European Parliament. Article 17-7 of the Treaty of the European Union plans the European Parliament will elect the President of the European Commission based on the proposal of the European Council. It will take under consideration the results of the European elections. According to this, the political parties have decided to take their responsibilities. During a meeting in 2011, they undertook to choose their chief candidate and not to elect another well-know political figures than the one from the winning party. The aim is to dramatize a ballot which most of the time is dull. This will be the opportunity for the European parties to organize their respective campaigns around the personality of a candidate to the Presidency of the European Commission.
Each chief candidate would defend the program of his party, carrying his own political, social, and economical point of view for the future of Europe. So now, the question to the European citizens would not be anymore «are you pro or against Europe ?», but should be «which Europe would you like to have ?». This would demonstrate that «the European elections are only dedicated to European issues. Thus, the national issues should not be the central position in the discussions» explained Alain Barrau.
To a trial of strength between the political parties and the member States ?
However, nothing says the expected dynamic will be there. Thus, the Treaty of Lisbon does not impose to the European Council to propose the chief candidate of the winning party for the position of the President of the European Commission. It only requests to take under consideration the results of the elections to the European Parliament.
If the willingness of the European parties was respected and that the left would win the elections, the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, would be constrained to choose a socialist commissioner, Martin Schultz in this case, who is the chief candidate of the European socialist party. But are the member States really ready to pass over their national interests for the European democracy ? That’s not sure.
Make the european political confrontation more readable, more interesting, and more familiar for the European citizen seems to be essential to operate the future of the European project. That’s why the politicization and the personification of the European elections of 2014 have to be strongly supported. However, several questions still remain starting with the pertinence of a politicization of the European Commission.
The European deputy, Sylvie Goulard is afraid that the European elections could be a source of frustration for the European citizen. «can we mean that the citizens consider they will vote to elect the chief of the executive, knowing that aside from it, the European Commission and the European Council are free from the political policy of the European Parliament, free from any kind of control». More than ever, the solution would be in a global reflection about the functioning of the European institutions and the politicization model to apply to the European Union. To think about the way the European Union has to reinforce its political dimension is a long-term question to which the national and European leaders have to answer.
PLEASE MAKE SURE I RECEIVE THE PAPER ON THE ASSIGNED DEADLINE, I CANT GIVE ANY EXTENSIONS .
