Pistes pour une Europe citoyenne

The text advocates for a new fundamental law for the EU, created via an open constituent assembly, to redefine its missions and decision-making processes. It proposes strengthening the role of national parliaments by integrating them with the European Parliament, particularly regarding budgetary rights, to prevent the dominance of powerful states like Germany. Additionally, it calls for the expansion of participatory democracy tools, such as the European Citizens' Initiative, petitions, and citizen panels, arguing that current efforts by the European Commission have often been reduced to mere communication exercises rather than genuine levers for policy influence.

• The author proposes the creation of a new fundamental law for the EU to redefine its missions, competencies, and resource collection, which should be drafted by a constituent assembly following the May 2014 elections.
• The document argues that the current 'European semester' process for budget planning marginalizes national parliaments, as decisions are largely fixed by national administrations and the European Commission before reaching parliamentarians.
• To avoid the dichotomy between a federal state and a confederation of states, the author suggests a 'third way' where the European Parliament and national parliaments invite each other to their respective discussions.
• The text suggests that the European Parliament should have a suspensive veto over decisions made by the Council of Ministers and the European Council to prevent the dominance of strong states, specifically mentioning Germany.
• The author criticizes the European Commission's approach to citizen engagement, such as the D44 plan and the 2013 'European Year of Citizens', claiming they were treated as communication tools rather than mechanisms to influence policy.
• The European Citizens' Initiative (ICE) is described as a tool where citizens can suggest legislation, though the Commission retains the final word; the author notes it has not been captured by organized lobbies.
• The document highlights the effectiveness of petitions, citing the ACTA case where a petition signed by 2.5 million citizens helped reverse a majority in favor of the treaty.
• Citizen panels and consensus conferences are praised for their ability to produce high-quality recommendations and foster a sense of belonging through transnational deliberation, though they are often under-utilized or blocked by representatives.

APA

Durant, G. S. I. (2014). Pistes pour une Europe citoyenne. Green European Journal. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/pistes-pour-une-europe-citoyenne/

Chicago

Durant, Gesine Schwan, Isabelle. Pistes pour une Europe citoyenne. Green European Journal, 2014. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/pistes-pour-une-europe-citoyenne/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Durant |first1=Gesine Schwan, Isabelle |title=Pistes pour une Europe citoyenne |publisher=Green European Journal |date=1 May 2014 |url=https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/pistes-pour-une-europe-citoyenne/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{durant2014pistes, author = {Durant, Gesine Schwan, Isabelle}, title = {{Pistes pour une Europe citoyenne}}, publisher = {Green European Journal}, year = {2014}, month = may, url = {https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/pistes-pour-une-europe-citoyenne/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }