The proposed democratisation is a return to the original principles of
European democracy in ancient Greece4 seeking to eliminate the Roman
Republican elements which were instituted after the French revolution.
At its heart must be the principle of popular sovereignty, and genuinely
representative democracy.
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Popular sovereignty being enshrined in the right of initiative and
referendum on a whole Europe-wide basis on any issue for which a
sufficient quorum of signatures, spread across enough countries can be
obtained. This direct participation in binding votes as European citizens
rather than citizens of the nations would constitute the Union as a real
focus of politics. The right of initiative would encourage the formation
of Union wide campaigns and movements. It could be exploited
immediately by the trades union movement of Europe and would give
them an impetus to unite in practice.
We are taking this consciously Jacobin position in favour of strong
democratic center, becaus only that has the power to confront
internationally organised big business and big finance.
We argue that the parliament be a citizens’ body, not a body of highly
paid elite politicians. At the very least we argue for the members to
face elections annually and for the limitation of office to a maximum
of 2 years to prevent the formation of a class of professional politicians
divorced from the population. Half of the parliament should be chosen
by lot rather than elected as present on a party list system. This again
aims to increase citizen participation, across all classes and genders.
The EU commission should be selected from and by the parliament
rather than being party placemen.
The parliament can legislate on any subject and if faced by a veto in the
council of ministers can call a citizens vote to override the nation state
representatives.
We of course know that women and slaves could not vote in Athens, but until
the early 20th century women and workers could not vote in Europe under the
parliamentary system. We are obviously not advocating a regression to slavery
and patriarchy. What we are saying is that current EU states derived their
constitutional model from the Roman Republic via the French Revolution,
and as such conciously adopted a state form that was optimal to the rule of the
propertied classes. It was for this reason that Ancient Greece faced the treaon of
its propertied classes when invaded by Roman Imperialism. The Republic was
seen then and now as the ideal form of rule by the wealthy.
Transition to 21st Century Socialism in the European Union
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