Democracy Impacts

Investigators Identify "Strong Suspicion" of PACE Corruption

June 01, 2018

AFP reports that external investigators of alleged corruption at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) have established a "strong suspicion" that certain governments, including that of Azerbaijan, doled out lavish gifts, including caviar and luxury hotel stays, to prevent the adoption of a critical report on the status of political prisoners.
Committee Seeks More "Political Ambition" in EU Budget

May 23, 2018

The European Economic and Social Committee recently hosted a meeting at which its leaders criticized the European Commission's proposal for a post-2020 EU budget as lacking "political ambition," calling for a budget increase despite Brexit and pushing for "greater conditionality" for access to EU funding.
UK House of Lords Pushes for EU Customs Membership

May 23, 2018

The BBC reports on the recent vote of the UK House of Lords to amend the government's EU withdrawal bill to require officials to inform Parliament about the steps they have taken to negotiate the UK's continued membership in a customs union with the EU after Brexit.
Legislators Criticize Closed Process for EC Appointment

May 22, 2018

The European Parliament has adopted a report calling on the European Commission (EC) to reassess the appointment of Martin Selmayr as the EC's Secretary-General, finding that the process of his selection was not transparent but rejecting an amendment calling for Selmayr to relinquish his title pending any such review.
EP Approves Measure on Party Transparency

May 22, 2018

The European Parliament (EP) has approved a set of proposals requiring greater transparency in EU-wide elections, including a requirement that national political parties include on their websites the logo and platform of their European affiliate and the "gender balance" of the party's membership in the EP.
Activists Criticize Report on EP Allowances

May 21, 2018

Politico reports that transparency advocates are dismissing as "wholly inadequate" recommendations contained in a European Parliament (EP) report suggesting reforms to an allowance distributed each month to EP Members, calling on the EU institution to require a full accounting of expenditures made using the allowance.
Macron Targets Nationalism as EU Foe

May 18, 2018

Reuters reports on the contents of a recent speech by President Emmanuel Macron to the European Parliament, outlining his vision for a shared "European sovereignty" through EU institutions to combat growing nationalist movements, which he blamed for "tearing Europe apart."
Hungarian PM Prioritizes Retaining "Europe of Nations"

May 11, 2018

Reuters reports that, following his recent re-election, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban vowed to resist the construction of a "United States of Europe," instead seeking a "Europe of nations" adhering to the principle of national sovereignty.
MPs: UK Must Deny EU Fishing Demands

May 07, 2018

A group of UK Members of Parliament (MPs) has published a letter to British Prime Minister Theresa May calling EU demands for maintaining existing access to UK waters for the purposes of fishing "completely unacceptable" and pushing May to take advantage of Brexit by establishing "a truly independent UK fishing policy."
UK Lawmakers: Limited Brexit Transition Could Endanger Security

May 07, 2018

The BBC reports that a group of UK Members of Parliament has warned that the British government should be prepared to extend a proposed post-Brexit "transition" period, during which the UK would continue to implement EU rules, to prevent a sudden break in UK-EU security cooperation and intelligence sharing.