Paul De Grauwe, (2018), “The European Commission should accept democratic change in Italy”, VoxEU, 30 Οκτωβρίου 2018
Since the euro area’s debt crisis in 2010, the European Commission has seen a dramatic increase in its power to supervise and control national budgets. This development was motivated by the will of the creditor countries to impose budgetary discipline on the debtor countries, such as Greece, Ireland, Spain and Portugal. As a result, the Stability and Growth Pact was strengthened and the power of the European Commission over the budgetary process of the euro area member states was tightened.
The new responsibilities of the European Commission create a problem of democratic legitimacy. Not in the sense that the Commission’s tighter role in the budgetary procedures of the member states have been achieved in an undemocratic manner. This increased power of the Commission is the result of decisions in the Council of Ministers and in the European Parliament. These are bodies that have been established in a democratic manner and that have decided to give the European Commission more power over national budgetary procedures after applying the majority rule. Formally there is nothing wrong with the legitimacy of the European Commission.
Σχετικές Αναρτήσεις
- Ashoka Mody, (2018), «Italy’s Budget Isn’t as Crazy as It Seems», Bloomberg Economics, 26 Οκτωβρίου
- Matt O’Brien, (2018), «Italy’s game of chicken with Europe is getting serious again», Washington Post, 22 Οκτωβρίου