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European Democracy is not for sale:
A call to Action!

Call from over 100 parlamentarians from 19 countries in the EU for negotiations on the EU budget

European Democracy is not for sale: A call to Action!

The European Union has insufficient resources to effectively combat misuse of EU funds and violations of the rule of law in the member states. The situation in countries like Hungary and Poland clearly shows that the EU must finally act. The EU Commission and the European Parliament have put forward good proposals for a rule of law mechanism. At the EU summit in July, the member states greatly weakened this mechanism, and the German government was finally gutted for the search for compromise between the EU Council, the EU Commission and the EU Parliament. A qualified majority is required for sanctions, the criteria were limited to serious corruption, all others were deleted. In addition, the Council, i.e. unanimity, should deal with sanctions. 

For the next round of the trialogue procedure today we have launched this appeal, which over 100 parliamentarians from 19 countries have signed.

The European Union is founded on the shared values of democracy, the rule of law and fundamental human rights. This is enshrined in Article 2 of the Treaty of the EU.

The German Presidency of the Council of the European Union is currently facing a tremendous challenge: It must find a compromise on the next EU budget and the Next Generation EU recovery plan. Both dossiers would have a real added value for European citizens, since they will help to overcome the economic consequences of the Corona crisis and hopefully kick-start Europe’s transformation into an ecological and social market economy.

At the same time, negotiations are led to protect the European Budget and our financial interests against breaches of the Rule of Law.

We strongly regret the fact that the European Council significantly weakened the efforts of the Commission and Parliament to uphold the rule of law framework for the MFF and the Next Generation EU Fund. We therefore call on the German Presidency and all Member State governments to stand up for an EU conditionality on the rule of law that deserves this name and to agree to

  • A clear and decisive process for determining adherence to the rule of law. This should take the form of a delegated decision by the Commission that can only be reversed by a qualified majority vote in the Council.     
  • A scope that includes violations of the principles of the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary, at a bare minimum.
  • Take out the option of Member countries being able to postpone an agreement to a future Council meeting.
  • A system that allows European citizens, local authorities and companies to access EU funds directly, should their government’s behavior prevent them from receiving them through regular channels. No European citizen should be punished for their government’s failure to respect and uphold the founding principles of our Union.

This call to action is highly urgent. What we are facing is an unprecedented and escalating crisis of our shared values, which threatens the very survival of the EU as a project of democracy and peace. The rule of law is no matter of East versus West, no matter of frugals versus friends of cohesion. European democracy is a matter concerning all European citizens – let’s protect our shared values!

Dr. Franziska Brantner, European policy spokesperson of the Green Party in the Bundestag

Daniel Freund, negotiator in the Committee on Budgetary Control for the Green Group in the European Parliament

List of all signatories

Auken, MargreteMEPDenmarkSocialistisk Folkeparti
Nienass, NiklasMEPGermanyBündnis 90/Die Grünen
Peter-Hansen, KiraMEPDenmarkSocialistisk Folkeparti
Strik, TinekeMEPNetherlandsGroenLinks
Guerreiro, FranciscoMEPPortugalIndependent
Ujhelyi, IstvánMEPHungaryMagyar Szocialista Párt
Nart, JavierMEPSpainIndependent
Vana, MonikaMEPAustriaDie Grünen
Köster, DietmarMEPGermanySPD
Gozi, SandroMEPFranceListe Renaissance
Profant, OndřejMPCzech RepublicPiráti
Navrkal, FrantišekMPCzech RepublicPiráti
Martínek, TomášMPCzech RepublicPiráti
Lipavský, JanMPCzech RepublicPiráti
Kopřiva, FrantišekMPCzech RepublicPiráti
Biteau, BenoitMEPFranceEurope Écologie
Urtasun, ErnestMEPSpainCatalunya en Comú
Spurek, SylwiaMEPPolandIndependant
Puigdemont, CarlesMEPSpainJunts per Catalunya – Lliures per Europa
Comín, AntoniMEPSpainJunts per Catalunya – Lliures per Europa
Ponsatí, ClaraMEPSpainJunts per Catalunya – Lliures per Europa
Bricmont, SaskiaMEPBelgiumEcologistes Confédérés
Von Cramon-TaubadelMEPGermanyBündnis 90/Die Grünen
Furore, MarioMEPItalyMovimento 5 Stelle
Schieder, AndreasMEPAustriaSPÖ
Heide, HannesMEPAustriaSPÖ
Vollath, BettinaMEPAustriaSPÖ
Hautala, HeidiMEPFinlandVihreä liitto
Piri, KatiMEPNetherlandsPartij van de Arbeid
Wagenknecht, LukasMPCzech RepublicPiráti
Kaljurand, MarinaMEPEstoniaSotsiaaldemokraatlik Erakond
Anisko, TomaszMPPolandPartii Zieloni
Urszula, ZielinskaMPPolandPartii Zieloni
Malgorzata, TraczMPPolandPartii Zieloni
Toussaint, MarieMEPFranceEurope Écologie
Cormand, DavidMEPFranceEurope Écologie
Rivasi, MichèleMEPFranceEurope Écologie
Delbos-Corfield, GwendolineMEPFranceEurope Écologie
Sartouri, MounirMEPFranceEurope Écologie
Jadot, YannickMEPFranceEurope Écologie
Yenbou, SalimaMEPFranceEurope Écologie
Roose, CarolineMEPFranceEurope Écologie
Gruffat, ClaudeMEPFranceEurope Écologie
Careme, DamienMEPFranceEurope Écologie
Alfonsi, FrancoisMEPFranceEurope Écologie
Dobrev, KlaraMEPHungaryDemokratikus Koalíció
Molnár, CsabaMEPHungaryDemokratikus Koalíció
Ara-Kovács, AttilaMEPHungaryDemokratikus Koalíció
Rónai, SándorMEPHungaryDemokratikus Koalíció
Gyurcsány, FerencMPHungaryDemokratikus Koalíció
Vadai, ÁgnesMPHungaryDemokratikus Koalíció
Arató, GergelyMPHungaryDemokratikus Koalíció
Hajdu, LászloMPHungaryDemokratikus Koalíció
Oláh, LajosMPHungaryDemokratikus Koalíció
Sebián-Petrovszki, LászlóMPHungaryDemokratikus Koalíció
Varju, LászlóMPHungaryDemokratikus Koalíció
Bösz, AnettMPHungaryDemokratikus Koalíció
Varga, ZóltánMPHungaryDemokratikus Koalíció
Sidl, GüntherMEPAustriaSPÖ
Orel, PetrMPCzech RepublicSz
Goláň, TomášMPCzech RepublicBEZPP
Tracz, MalgorzataMPPolandPartia Zieloni
Anisko, TomaszMPPolandKoalicja Obywatelska
Jachira, KlaudiaMPPolandKoalicja Obywatelska
Sterczewski, FranciszekMPPolandKoalicja Obywatelska
Ernst-Dziedzic, EwaMPAustriaDie Grünen
Borràs, LauraMPSpainJunts per Catalunya – Lliures per Europa
Nogueras, MíriamMPSpainJunts per Catalunya – Lliures per Europa
Cuevillas, Jaume AlonsoMPSpainJunts per Catalunya – Lliures per Europa
Illamola, MarionaMPSpainJunts per Catalunya – Lliures per Europa
Matamala, JamiMPSpainJunts per Catalunya – Lliures per Europa
Cleries, Josep LluísMPSpainJunts per Catalunya – Lliures per Europa
Castellví, AssumpcióMPSpainJunts per Catalunya – Lliures per Europa
Rivero, MaiteMPSpainJunts per Catalunya – Lliures per Europa
Gonzalez, Monica SilvanaMEPSpainPartido Socialista Obrero Español
Delli, KarimaMEPFranceEELV
Mounir, SatouriMEPFranceEELV
Benarroche, GuyMPFranceEELV
Dantec, RonanMPFranceESNT
Benbassa, EstherMPFranceEELV
Dossus, ThomasMPFranceEELV
Fernique, JacquesMPFranceEELV
Kairidis, DimitrisMPGreeceNew Democracy
Barna, DanMPRomaniaUSR*
Drula, CatalinMPRomaniaUSR*
Mihail, RaduMPRomaniaUSR*
De Marco, MoniqueMPFanceEELV
Tērauda, Vita AndaMPLatviaAttistibai/Par!
Fusacchia, AlessandroMPItalyGruppo Misto
Giannakopoulou, NantiaMPGreecePASOK
Barrena, PernandoMEPSpainEH BILDU
Aguilar, JuanMEPSpainPartido Socialista Obrero Español
Clement, SvenMPLuxembourgPiraten
Gregorová, MarkétaMEPCzech RepublicPiráti
Freund, DanielMEPGermanyBündnis 90/Die Grünen
Brantner, FranziskaMPGermanyBündnis 90/Die Grünen
Brugger, AgnieszkaMPGermanyBündnis 90/Die Grünen
Hofreiter, AntonMPGermanyBündnis 90/Die Grünen
Kyuchyuk, IlhanMEPBulgariaMovement for Rights and Freedoms
Mihaylova, IskraMEPBulgariaMovement for Rights and Freedoms
Alieva-Veli, AtidzheMEPBulgariaMovement for Rights and Freedoms
Muroni, RossellaMPItalyLiberi e Uguali
Palazzotto, ErasmoMPItalyLiberi e Uguali
Magi, RiccardoMPItalyPlus Europa
Lagodinsky, SergeyMEPGermanyBündnis 90/Die Grünen
Geese, AlexandraMEPGermanyBündnis 90/Die Grünen
Giegold, SvenMEPGermanyBündnis 90/Die Grünen
Strugariu, RamonaMEPRomaniaUSR Plus
Klaver, JesseMPNetherlandsGroenLinks

* on behalf of the USR group in the Romanian Parliament

Verantwortlich i.S.d. Telemedienrechts (§5 TMG, §55 RStV):
Dr. Franziska Brantner
Deutscher Bundestag
Platz der Republik 1
11011 Berlin
E-Mail: franziska.brantner@bundestag.de

Daniel Freund
Europäisches Parlament
ASP 08 G 101
Rue Wiertz 60
B-1047 Brüssel
E-Mail: daniel.freund@europarl.europa.eu

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