In the opening address of the Congress promoted by the Assembly of the Republic on the future of Europe and the amendment of treaties, Augusto Santos Silva relied on the capital of a former foreign minister – when he still held the portfolio of European affairs. – He raised many doubts about the European construction process, and above all on the way in which the item is required to take unanimous decisions.
between the parties, Noun Melo He “returned” to Parliament to defend the case for consensus – after hearing Santos Silva’s intervention – and understands that “Europe has never stopped moving forward despite a veto” which he understands is “remaining” in the decision-making process that “essentially protects small countries” like Portugal.
In general, the Liberal Initiative’s deputy, Bernardo Blanco, says that “there are many questions that can be asked in other ways without the need for treaty review”.
Paolo Rangel, deputy head of the Middle East Party and the PSD, defended Direct election of the President of the European CommissionAlthough, he said, “this is not the main problem” for the EU. Paulo Rangel also called for greater commitment from national parliaments to governments, “because it is the countries that remain the strongest in union decisions.”
Enough MP Bruno Nunes has criticized the EU’s “dependency attitude” toward Germany and left a defector to the left-wing bloc and the Popular Congress party for not taking part in the initiative.
At the end of the work, the Minister of State for European Affairs, Tiago Antunes, intensified the opinion of the majority: the success of the debate on the future of Europe “should not be measured only by the revision of treaties”, because there are still So much to explore in the applicable rules. Even Tiago Antunes says that “only 6% of the proposals collected in public consultation need treaty review”.
Augusto Santos Silva always asked in a thoughtful manner, without explicitly stating his personal position.sanitytoughness and realism” in changing treaties, but left comments about the way the consensus clause was used, particularly in matters relating to the rule of law.
For the current President of the Assembly of the Republic, “from the moment when the rule of law ceased to be indisputable and became a problem and a divisive factor, we have not been able to resolve problems relating to existing treaties,” because, “it requires unanimity and Target countries can preventEuropean sanctions.
In addition to the question of the rule of law, as well as in taxation, defense and foreign policy, Santos Silva recognizes that the rule of consensus has been used as a means of negotiation between states that have “used consensus as a tool threatening meansTo block joint decisions by EU countries.
Augusto Santos Silva recognizes that greater use of ‘transient clauses’ must be a subject of reflection, allowing ‘decision-making by Eligible majority rather than unanimity.” The same position was defended by the Socialist MEP, Margarida Márquez, who believed that the Lisbon Treaty “could be better used” and that this clause “could have already been activated” in some votes.
Foreign Minister, Tiago Antunes, also said that “many provisions in existing treaties can and should be activated” and that “there are still untapped potentialWhich should be the ‘goal of focus of Member States prior to treaty review’.
Paulo Rangel and Nuno Melo participated in one of the committees at this conference, with the European Parliament Member and CDS Chair “thanks for the opportunity to return [ao Parlamento]”And to leave in the air the desire that today’s presence in the Assembly of the Republic will be”Obsession with the best times in the past And it could be the future again.”
The two MEPs agreed on issues such as transnational lists and NATO’s dominance of the European military, described by Paulo Rangel as ” catastrophe The United Kingdom and the United States of America are not involved in the defense of Europe.”
The MEP and the deputy head of the PSD began to intervene by criticizing TAP. Paulo Rangel came from Porto – “because everything was sold out with WebSummit” – and blamed the air carrier for the delay that made him arrive a few minutes late at this conference. “TAP does not provide public serviceComplained ‘Deputy’ Luis Montenegro, who gave a ‘note about territorial cohesion’ despite ‘coming from a city with better connections with Lisbon’.
Augusto Santos Silva refers to the Ukrainian situation as “refreshed The enlargement process” and as capable of “bringing about a fundamental change in the geography, geopolitics and balances of the European Union”, which could, in this case, lead to a revision of treaties in relation, for example, to European funds or financing policies.
Santos Silva believes that the issue of EU enlargement to include Ukraine is one of the seven facts that have “happened in recent years and months” that dictate thinking about Treaty review.
The Executive, through the Secretary of State for European Affairs, says there is “no refusal in principle” to review these treaties, which “may be necessary to prepare the EU for future enlargements”, but the priority should be to take advantage of these treaties, and the opportunities available to existing rules. .
“Writer. Analyst. Avid travel maven. Devoted twitter guru. Unapologetic pop culture expert. General zombie enthusiast.”
