Episode 139: Bonus Episode: Reform Europe

Previously in Europe

• Episode: Episode 139: Bonus Episode: Reform Europe
• Website: Previously in Europe
• Feed URL: http://simplecast.com/podcasts/2120/rss
• Duration: 01:02:23
• Published: 2019-07-17 01:00

Our Patreon bonus episode on how to reform the EU. First we discuss the much touted Macron reform and then explain why they're lazy. The we have our own list of short and long term noodlings.

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Reform Europe

Describe your idea for how to reform the EU

If you think Macron is an asshole, maybe you can do better?

Pappa Macron's Vision:

Everyone remembers his fun letter:

https://www.elysee.fr/emmanuel-macron/2019/03/04/for-european-renewal.en

But there were positions before this, mostly economic...

Generally it was a two speed Europe including:

• EU finance minister.
• Establish a joint eurozone budget.
• Institute a body tasked with overseeing bloc-wide economic policy.

Yeah cool that was early 2018. Then we had his EU campaign open letter to Europe stuff:

https://www.elysee.fr/emmanuel-macron/2019/03/04/for-european-renewal.en

We talked about this in a previous episode (https://previouslyineurope.simplecast.com/episodes/cryptographically-secure-renaissance-7b5cf31d)

Politico had a pretty clear summary that wasn't written in prose (https://www.politico.eu/article/emmanuel-macron-europe-renaissance-vs-reality/)

AKK in response to Macron said some shitty things

Mostly about migration, protecting borders.

Also getting rid of the Strasbourg parliament and taxing EU officials. You know the big ticket reforms...

https://www.dw.com/en/angela-merkel-successor-akk-responds-to-emmanuel-macrons-vision-for-europe/a-47840072

Manu want input from citizens apparently

Or so he says. Once the new executive is in place he thinks everyone should get together and somehow get input form citizens too to work out priorities for the next 5 years so here we go...

https://www.euractiv.com/section/eu-elections-2019/news/macron-wants-a-convention-to-reform-europe/

Some actual reforms maybe?

Short Term (1 commission cycle)

• Make transparency register mandatory
• End tax havens… possibly a common corporation tax minimum
• Change migration policy. Stop:
• Deportation to unsafe territories
• Don’t spend money on exporting prevention to foreign powers
• Maybe reparations for the colonial holdings?
• Change framework in a way that the focus of the EU in terms of migration isn’t for migration control, but for international development
• Fix the Euro - See European Spring section, both short and long
• EU election reform:
• Put the EU parties on the voting ballots as well as the local party
• Get rid of the parliament “groupings” because they’re really just parties. The requirement for speaking time and funding in the parliament can just be bumped down to the party level, don’t make them separate. This both makes it more similar to systems they’re familar with but also is less stupid.
• Council of the EU and the European Council
• Name change! Just European Senate:
• 2 seats per country, 1 permanent (appointed like a cabinet position). Other is head of state
• With proxy voting for obvious reasons
• Fixes the confusion, means there’s someone actually on the ground who can give heads of state a skinny

Long Term

• Welcome in refugees
• Citizens assemblies to assist in drafting a better EU constitution - i.e. a democratic constitutional convention
• Get rid of Strasbourg
• Probably long term to figure out what to do with the building and not annoy current French President
• EU commission is more complicated
• Our idea would be for Prime Minister styley and make it an actual parliament. Not like that stupid French parliament. Commission President is elected and approved by the new Imperial Senate. I am the Senate…
• Commissioners are doled out sort of like they are now.
• Figure out a way to make national voting allowed for EU ex-pats...