17.10.2023
Abstract
The future of the Europarl are transnational lists, but fostering a European identity may mean confronting nation and ideology.
Ideologies have historically managed to bring people together to advance their agendas and political objectives, but in the case of the EU, these have been crossed by national tensions. MEPs have to comply not only with their ideals, but also with the wishes of their national constituencies, failing to be an institution of ideological representation. To overcome this weakness, and render the EU a true representative democracy, transnational lists may be an answer to leave behind the limitations of national constituencies, advancing the concept of a European identity represented in a European constituency. The issue is so complicated that it has managed to split the vote of the European People’s Party, with some of its MEPs voting in favour and some against. The proposal for transnational lists is still in a limbo, however its implementation may soon become a reality for which some issues remain to be addressed, specially those dealing with getting around nations as a limitation to the way we conceive politics.
About the author
Sara S. Velasco is a political scientist by Universidad Carlos III (Madrid, Spain) with a postgrad specialization in intelligence analysis and gender studies. She works as an advisor to the Spanish Minister of Transportation, Mobility and the Urban Agenda, and as an associate professor of political economy and international politics at Universidad Carlos III. She has collaborated as an independent researcher with the Institute of European Democrats before, in 2020 and 2021.
#transnationallists #nationalism #voting #participation #europeanidentity