same kind are now up for discussion once more. The French parliament voted against joining the European Defence Community, putting an end to all the other Kathalijne Buitenweg: Love for the federalist plans. Subsequently people opted for a more Muddle that is Europe pragmatic approach. They looked towards the internal market and nuclear power, which then seemed to be a booming business.”

On May 22, 2014 the citizens of the “This gave rise to a number of European institutions. , like the citizens of all Each of the communities – the ECSC for coal and steel, the other member states, will go to Euratom for nuclear power and European Economic the polls to choose their Community for the internal market – gained its own representatives for the European institution, consisting of a Commission and a Council of Parliament. But what do we really Ministers. There was however just one Parliamentary know about the European Union? Assembly. So the setup was a bit of a muddle: the EU was built up bit by bit without the benefit of a grand design. It The Green European Foundation, with the Dutch was not a coherent union like that of the United States. Foundation Bureau de Helling, is organising a series This structure was imposed from above. My own country, of lectures in Utrecht featuring well-known speakers the Netherlands, could not reconcile the European to discuss how the EU works, what its role is and why Constitution with its own Constitution. Initially there were we should care about the up-coming elections. only six members. Meanwhile the European Union grew to include 28 member states, now that Croatia has joined. Kathalijne Buitenweg, former Member of the The EU is in a continual state of transition, with more and for the Dutch Greens, opened more countries and wider and wider powers. This in turn the series of debates on January 6th, with a talk on causes continual modification of the institutions. The the history and functioning of the EU. rules of the European Parliament, for example, have to be revised several times a year.”

In the first of six Monday evening lectures on Europe, “One significant turning point was the signing of the Kathalijne Buitenweg spoke about the history and Maastricht Treaty in 1992.” It instilled some order into functioning of the European Union. Europe has been her the chaos. “The European Union was the roof over a field of work for over ten years and is the subject of her structure with three pillars, a bit like a Greek temple. The doctoral thesis, now in progress. It is a complex matter, ECSC and Euratom were merged to form the first pillar. for Europe changes continually. What is more, it is not It had a supranational character, with no veto for individual member states. The participating countries did based on some grand design. To Buitenweg, however, not lose their sovereignty but shared it. The member that is not a drawback: “What I want to convey is what it states chose to cooperate in the fields of foreign policy means to feel love for the muddle that is Europe.” and security, and of justice and policing.” This cooperation had an intergovernmental character. “The Supported by the European Parliament, Bureau de European Parliament gave its advice, but every member Helling is organising the Dieper Europa in (“Deeper into state was entitled to a veto.” Europe”) lecture series together with the GroenLinks working group on Europe and the Green European Maastricht was followed by the treaties of Foundation. Kathalijne Buitenweg is now writing a thesis (1997) and Nice (2001). The attitude of GroenLinks on the functioning of the European Parliament, set the gradually changed. By the time of Nice, GroenLinks no ball rolling. She took her audience on a tour through the longer judged the treaties against its own ideals, but EU’s institutions. considered whether each treaty was in itself an improvement. That is why GroenLinks voted in favour of Love for the muddle that is Europe the Treaty of Nice. The negotiations for the Treaty of Nice “After World War II, the governments of Europe decided were a disaster: the Netherlands wanted more votes in to unify their economies to make future wars impossible. the Council of the Ministers, come what may, even Several countries chose to share sovereignty in the area though voting does not take place all that often here. In of coal and steel. These were not just fuel for the war exchange, the Netherlands offered up one seat in the machine, but the basis of their economy.” The European European Parliament.” European integration was not Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) was established in really advanced by the Treaty of Nice. 1952. This was followed by ideas for a European Defence Community and a European Political Community. “The The fiasco of the Constitution Political Community would be responsible for upholding “The next treaty clearly had to come about in a different human rights in all its member states. Proposals of the way. The aim was to open up the procedure. The new Kathalijne Buitenweg: Love for the Muddle that is Europe 2

negotiations would be on a large number of different too. Otherwise every new accord reached in Brussels issues. The more eggs in the basket, so to speak, the could be undermined by individual countries refusing to more deals there were to be made. There was moreover take part.” a major change on the agenda: further enlargement of the EU membership. Not only the heads of government “My first reaction to those changes was ‘big deal!’ But had to convene, but national and European parliament those symbols stood for something grander, namely the members must now become involved in the negotiations. ‘soul of Europe’. Without them, it means you are opting The outcome was the European Convention. It was not for a purely pragmatic union, which regulates matters the most inspiring piece of work and consisted largely of only in a large number of limited areas. So what is playing on words. Yet the result was a more grandiose important about the Treaty of Lisbon? Practically all text: a European Constitution.” fields of action now fall under the first, supranational, pillar. In this pillar, the Council of Ministers and the “The European Parliament was to have a say in every European Parliament have an equal say.” area. In those fields where member states shared sovereignty, the public would also have a voice. The “The powers Europe that has depend on the area. In European Union developed towards a filling bigger role education, its role is only a supplementary one. But the for Europe. There was to be a Minister of Foreign Affairs, EU has much deeper involvement in matters of the and European laws would take the place of EU directives. environment, and it enjoys exclusive competence when it The constitution moreover placed European laws above comes to trade policies. The EU has little say on social national laws. People panicked.” policy, but much more on working conditions. The working environment concept is therefore now greatly “That campaign involved me personally. Our message expanded. Labour participation is part of a healthy was not getting across. GroenLinks welcomed the working environment. Consider the releasing of data on Constitution – not as the end of the story, but as a step in air travel passengers: is that a matter of privacy, or of the right direction. My personal conviction is that we can foreign policy? The European Parliament decided that no longer deal with many of the problems of this European airlines must adhere to European privacy globalized world as individual nations. This applies not standards. That is a matter for the European Parliament. only to environmental pollution, but also to globalized But the Council of Ministers saw it as subject to an trade. We must agree among ourselves to set limits to accord with the United States, and thus a matter of the power of the business world. We can’t do that as one foreign policy in which the European Parliament has no country alone. A multinational company will be inclined say. Competences in specific areas are continually being to say, okay, we’ll go to Belgium instead.” widened. As a result, there is an ongoing dispute over competences. “Other parties used different arguments. Partij voor de Dieren, the Dutch animal rights and welfare party, The power of the European Parliament campaigned against the constitution. They said, ‘a yes to “The European Parliament has shown its muscle on the constitution is a yes to bullfighting.’ Somewhere in several occasions. First of all, MEPs choose the the European Constitution, it was stated that the EU president of the European Commission, who in turn should not annul European cultural traditions. Partij voor draws up a list of candidate commissioners. The de Dieren stood shoulder to shoulder with the socialist European Parliament can only reject or accept the party SP, whose standpoint was ‘no to the super-state’. proposed Commission in its entirety. So far the What the Labour Party, PvdA, did was pure demagogy: Parliament has never rejected a Commission, although ‘We’re also against bullfighting, but saying no to the things came close to that in 2004. That year, José Manuel European Union won’t put a stop to it.’” Barroso drew up the list of candidates for the European Commission. Guy Verhofstadt and Tony Blair had both The Dutch and French voters rejected the Constitution. hoped to become the Chairman of the European “A period of reflection followed. The Germans waited Commission, but neither of them succeeded. The heads until after the Dutch elections. Then the heads of of government chose Barroso because he came from government convened again. A new treaty, the Treaty of Portugal and seemed to lack personal ambition. Barroso Lisbon, emerged. Many of the changes were only asked the heads of government to nominate their symbolic. The Minister of Foreign Affairs turned into a candidates for the Commission membership. In the High Representative for Foreign Affairs. The flag, the Netherlands, Cees Veerman, the then Minister of anthem and the motto disappeared from the treaty text. Agriculture, hoped to win the same portfolio in the European Laws went back to being EU Directives. The European Commission. Barroso promised the passage that elevated European legislation above Netherlands a better portfolio if they were prepared to national legislation was scrapped. Instead, there was a nominate a woman. So Neelie Kroes took the place of statement that the jurisprudence would remain Veerman.” unchanged. According to that jurisprudence, European laws still overrode national laws. And that is a good thing “The Italians put forward the Christian Democrat Rocco Kathalijne Buitenweg: Love for the Muddle that is Europe 3

Buttiglione. I had the privilege of posing the first question Members of the European Parliament not only represent on behalf of the European Parliament. Buttiglione’s their national interest, but their standpoints also depend standpoints appalled me: women belonged in the on their political outlook. “Consider the pesticides used kitchen, and homos were dirty and repulsive. No one in the commercial cultivation of tulips. The VVD party thought that the European Parliament would show its regards them as beneficial to the Dutch tulip industry. A teeth.” After all, the only way to block the appointment of GroenLinks person would say that something must be Buttiglione was to reject the whole proposed done about it, because the chemicals are harmful to the Commission. agricultural workers. Each of them represents a particular interpretation of national interest.” “The Netherlands held the chairmanship of the EU at the time. At that time Dutch prime-minister Balkenende was “The European Parliament is therefore organized into absent because he had a serious foot infection. Queen political groups. I did not sit with members of the Dutch Beatrix was on a visit to the European Parliament at the parties CDA or VVD, but with the German Greens. It has time and top officials were dealing with her visit. No always been that way. Wim van der Camp from CDA once representative of the European Council was therefore convened a meeting of the Orange Council, which present in the Parliament at the time of the vote, which consisted of all the Dutch MEPs. It was about the provoked irritation as it seemed the Council had no possibility of taking ones bicycle along in the Thalys high confidence in the proposed Commission. When the EP is speed train. I never heard any more about it.” nettled and a point has to be decided, things can happen. Barroso withdrew his Commission proposal. The extreme right party of “PVV () is grouped among the non- inscrits. But now Representatives of countries or parties? they want to join a political group because that is more “Members of the European Parliament are elected on a attractive. It is easier to take action because you then national basis. The Netherlands has 26 MEPs, Malta 6 share a budget, motions and speaking time.” Being a and Germany 96. That means that a Maltese MEP member of a parliamentary group has other advantages represents far fewer people than a German one. It is a too. “You follow your group in the European Parliament. good thing if every country has enough MEPs in the No one has the time and opportunity to read all the parliament. Consider a law on the banks of water reports that come out. Besides, MEPs act on behalf of channels. Suppose a Bulgarian MEP prepares a report on their parliamentary group. There is no question of a strict the topic and advises that agricultural chemicals must group discipline, but the level of cohesion is not be sprayed within one and a half metres of the considerable. For the Greens it is 95 percent. You get a waterway. For the Netherlands, it would mean losing half voting list with plus and minus signs. You simply have to its agricultural land if farmers had to stay that far away follow the list when a vote takes place. That can take from every water channel. The problems are very hours, because the European Parliament is a law making different here from in Bulgaria. The European Parliament machine.” has a representative character in this respect.”

This report was written by Simon Otjes and translated into English by Vic Joseph.

© Green European Foundation & Bureau de Helling, January 2014

The views expressed in this article are those of the authors’ alone. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the Green European Foundation. With support of the European Parliament.

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