Dear friends, readers, and Volters,
About a month ago you received a newsletter telling you that our core promise during the 2019 election campaign, “Fix the EU”, was becoming real. Back then, my colleagues in the European Parliament and I voted on proposals to amend the EU Treaties on Committee level, and today those have made it to the plenary.
Today, we are writing history again, and taking the reform of the EU a step further.
WE HAVE TO FIX THE EU BECAUSE IT'S UNDER ATTACK
We might not see the cracks in the wall, but I can definitely hear the hammering and the banging of the far-right, really trying to undermine the Union and the values we stand for. The images of Hungarian PM Viktor Orbán shaking hands with Vladimir Putin, while Putin continues to kill innocent Ukrainian citizens on European soil, or even further West, where the United States is again in the grip of the far-right populists – tell us something very clearly: we need to act now.
We, as Volt, would have liked a more ambitious proposal for change. Still, what’s on the table is already a small improvement and a step in the right direction, even if many of the core flaws of the EU are not addressed. Despite knowing that the delicate political balance of the text wouldn’t allow them, I kept on pushing forward Volt’s proposals, anchoring them as the correct level of ambition we should aim for. This builds on my work over the last years during the Conference on the Future of Europe, the electoral law (creating transnational lists for the European Elections) and as coordinator for all constitutional matters for my group.
The rise of nationalism and populism can only be countered if we dare more democracy. It’s high time we change, otherwise change might not be too gracious with us. The European Parliament knows this and acts now. Today is a good day for Europe. In a time when it’s hard to see light at the end of the tunnel, we can pave the way for a better, common European future.
We need a bold vision since Europe needs bold reform.
I am very proud and happy that I can live this historic moment for the EU, and I will keep you updated on any further developments on our Treaty change mission!
Yours,
Damian
