Pathways to a Europe of the Citizens

The text proposes a 'third pathway' for the EU that avoids both a federal state and renationalisation by integrating national and European parliaments and strengthening participatory democracy. It calls for a new Convention to redefine EU legislation and suggests that the European Parliament should have a suspensive veto to prevent the dominance of powerful member states like Germany. The author critiques current citizen engagement efforts as mere 'communication' and advocates for more substantive tools, such as citizen panels and consensual conferences, to ensure citizens have a genuine voice in decision-making.

• The author proposes a 'third pathway' for EU governance that avoids both the creation of a federal state and the renationalisation of member states (confederation of States). This model involves reciprocal invitations where the European Parliament and national parliaments attend each other's discussions to improve the understanding of issues and the consequences of national decisions.
• To prevent the dominance of powerful member states, specifically Germany, the European Union Parliament should be granted a 'suspensive veto' over the decisions of the Council of Ministers and the European Council.
• The current EU budget process is described as overly executive-driven, leaving national parliaments with little influence because guidelines are established by the Council of Ministers and the Commission before national parliaments receive the submissions in autumn.
• The author argues that previous efforts to engage citizens, such as the 2005 plan for democratic engagement and the 2013 'European Year of Citizens', were limited to communication and information rather than serving as powerful tools to change policy direction.
• While the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) allows citizens to make suggestions, it is viewed as too slow-paced compared to other influence strategies. In contrast, the author highlights the success of 'citizen lobbies' and petitions, citing the 2012 Avaaz petition signed by 2.5 million citizens that helped lead MEPs to reject the ACTA Treaty.
• The document advocates for the use of citizen panels and consensual conferences as effective tools for implementing collective intelligence and transnational belonging, though it notes such initiatives have been sidelined in favor of traditional consultations.
• The author calls for a new Convention to be held after the May 2014 elections to create brief and legible fundamental legislation redefining EU missions and decision-making. This convention should be open and participatory, with the possibility that member states refusing the resulting agreement could be dismissed from the Union.

APA

Durant, G. S. I. (2014). Pathways to a Europe of the Citizens. Green European Journal. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/pathways-to-a-europe-of-the-citizens/

Chicago

Durant, Gesine Schwan, Isabelle. Pathways to a Europe of the Citizens. Green European Journal, 2014. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/pathways-to-a-europe-of-the-citizens/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Durant |first1=Gesine Schwan, Isabelle |title=Pathways to a Europe of the Citizens |publisher=Green European Journal |date=1 May 2014 |url=https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/pathways-to-a-europe-of-the-citizens/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{durant2014pathways, author = {Durant, Gesine Schwan, Isabelle}, title = {{Pathways to a Europe of the Citizens}}, publisher = {Green European Journal}, year = {2014}, month = may, url = {https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/pathways-to-a-europe-of-the-citizens/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }