The Kingdom of Spain
4 Mar 2021, 00:02
Debate on this starts NOW and ends 5 March 2021 at 20h00 GMT.
Charles Michel
Council Speaker and Councilor for the Kingdom of Fremet
Amendment to the European and Accountable Council Act 2020
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PREAMBLE
According to the values enshrined in the Preamble of our Constitution, the European Union is dedicated to promoting democracy and good governance. As the primary legislative branch of the European Union, the European Council is the greatest bastion and gatekeeper of democracy and democratic decision-making in Europe.In order to therefore legitimize itself as a fully democratic institution, and to make itself accountable to the European people, the European Council shall become a democratically-elected body chosen directly by the people of the European Union.SECTION I. DEMOCRATIZATION OF THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL
I. All members of the European Council, also known as Councillors, shall be directly and democratically elected to office by the people of their member state of origin.
I.II.The governments of European Union member states may not appoint or dismiss their Councillorwithout following an official democratic process outlined in this Act.if they accomplish with the following prerequisite mentioned in this Act.SECTION II. PREREQUISITE TO AVOID COUNCILLOR ELECTION
I. Member states willing to avert councillor elections shall have stayed in the European Union for at least 12 months.SECTION III.
II.COUNCILLOR ELECTION PROCESSES
I. Councillors from new member states may only takemay only (re)taketheir office within the European Council after satisfying a democratic processes in which all following conditions are met:
a) A state-wide election was held to specifically choose who would fill the position of Councillor;
b) The electorate directly voted for Councillor candidates on their ballot(s);
c) Suffrage was universal and equal to all citizens that were of the legal voting age;
d) The election process was generally seen as free and fair;
e) Candidates for Councillor were able to freely nominate themselves;
f) They successfully received the most votes at the end of the official voting process.
II. New member states shall be responsible for organizing, monitoring and fulfilling their own Councillor elections. New member states shall also be allowed to freely design and implement their own democratic procedures, rules and processes for electing their Councillor as long as all conditions for choosing a successful Councillor in Clause I of this Section are met.
III. Councillor elections must be regular and must occur at least once every four years.
III.IV.It is encouraged that member states elect their Councillor one month after they elect their national legislatures, or they elect their Councillor during the official European Council Election period.SECTION IV.
III.EUROPEAN COUNCIL ELECTION PERIOD
I. An official European Council Election period will be held simultaneously with the first European Commission election of each calendar year. This period shall simply serve as a coordinated effort to harmonize Councillor elections simultaneously between European Union member states and does not require mandatory observance.SECTION
IV.TERM LIMITS,VACANCIESAND BY-ELECTIONS
I. Councillors shall not face any term limits and may run for re-election an unlimited amount of times.
II. Councillors may be dismissed or recalled by their government.following a simple-majority vote in the highest-decision making body of that member state.
III. Should a Councillor resign, die, be dismissed, recalled or removed from office by any means, a by-election will automatically be triggered and must be held as quickly as feasibly possible to refill the vacant position if the member state doesn’t accomplish the prerequisites.
IV. By-elections must follow the exact same procedures, rules and processes as the original election that was previously held.
II. Until an election is conducted by new member states a temporary councillor may be appointed in order to avoid lack of representation for any country in the Council.SECTION V. IMPLEMENTATION AND ENFORCEMENT
I. All incumbent Councillors who have currently been elected in a direct and democratic way shall be recognized as democratically elected to office.
II. All incumbent Councillors who have been appointed or indirectly elected by their government to office shall not be recognized as democratically elected, and an election for their position must be held within the next four years.
III. Any member state which violates any section of this Act, or any Councillor which continues to be unelected for four years, will be considered as having breached this Act and will have their Councillor suspended from the European Council by the European Court of Justice.
Councillors, today I'm submitting an amendment to the European and Accountable Council Act 2020. I think this act has been very controversial, and when we look back to the consequences of its approval here, in the European Council, we can see how one very important member state felt forced to leave the chamber, suffer a lack of representation because they were forced to held elections just because the European Union forced them. We, the European Councillors that are still here and, like me, were democratically elected and suffered the consequences of this act, made the Council look more democratical, but that doesn't mean we all liked this act. The European Union needs to move towards a new era in which we all feel confortable, and I hope you, Councillors, become part of the change we are just about to start in our region.
Donald Tusk
Deputy Speaker and Councillor for Spain -
Debate on this starts NOW and ends 5 March 2021 at 20h00 GMT.
Charles Michel
Council Speaker and Councilor for the Kingdom of Fremet -
"I do have some questions on the proposed amendment, of which I support most of it but think that it will be acceptable for the complaints that have been made about EACA. But I was wondering if the gentleman from Spain can explain a bit about Section 2 of the amendment?"
Francis Plessis
EU Councilor for Leagio -
I am in agreement with this ammendment. We need a way to suspend councillours and also right to representation if a countries situation means having a councillour here is dangerous for the rest of Europes councillours. The recent situations prove we have no tools to deal with this. I also like it allows for appointed councillours and in my oppinion and the duchies official view we need to allow appointed councillors if they are approved by a democratically elected legislature for part of the approval. If we don't take this oppurtunity to fix this sovreignty issue we could very much see more nations leave the EU and that is something that isn't worth it just to have all councillours popularly elected. I urge all nations in favour of EACA as it stands to consider this, are you doing a service to democracy by causing nations to leave just because you want to impose your version of democracy on them? Is it democratic for the EU to force its version of Democracy on nations?
Skye Hook
Deputy Councillour for United Duchies -
Thank you for your questions, Councillor Plessis. When it comes to Section II, the main purpose of this act is awarding those nations which have been in the European Union for a year with the non-mandatory Councillor election. This benefits nations like Angleter, Inquista, the Duxburian Union or Fremet, for example, while we keep our compromise with democracy in the Council. For example, if some sort of dictatorship joined the European Union, they would be forced to do elections and their Councillor wouldn't be recognised as such until an election process takes place. The same would happen with those countries which recently joined the European Union, they would need to do elections first if they haven't been here for a year.
Donald Tusk
Deputy Speaker and Councillor for Spain -
Mr. Speaker, I would like to request a debate expansion on my amendment as I would like more opinions to be heard.
Donald Tusk
Deputy Speaker and Councillor for Spain -
I'd like to propose the following ammendment:
I. Councillors from new member states may only take may only (re)take their office within the European Council after satisfying a democratic processes in which all following conditions are met:
a) An election by popular vote of the people or by a democratically elected legislature or legislatures has took place.
b) The electorate directly voted for Councillor candidates on their ballot(s);
b) Suffrage was universal and equal to all citizens that were of the legal voting age;
b) The election process was generally seen as free and fair;
c) Candidates for Councillor were able to freely nominate themselves;
d) They successfully received the most votes at the end of the official voting process.
II. New member states shall be responsible for organizing, monitoring and fulfilling their own Councillor elections. New member states shall also be allowed to freely design and implement their own democratic procedures, rules and processes for electing their Councillor as long as all conditions for choosing a successful Councillor in Clause I of this Section are met.
III. Councillor elections must be regular and must occur at least once every four years.
IV. It is encouraged that member states elect their Councillor one month after they elect their national legislatures, or they elect their Councillor during the official European Council Election period.We need to recognise not all nations directly elect international officials or high up members of government this is them ost contentious part of EACA we can fix right now and there is still democracy since elected legislators would be the ones electing the councillour.. I quite frankly don't see why the EU should be imposing its version of democracy on member states , it tramples on national sovereignty unnecessarily.
Skye Hook Deputy councillour for United duchies
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Cllr. Hook, I don't understand this amendment, nor its real purpose. We need new nations to proof how democratic they are when they joined the European Union. Back in summer, a nation which today is out of the European Union, Noctoria, joined our Union. They were a dictatorship, no elections, no freedom of press, nor of speech. Myself, as an European who comes from a democratic country as Spain, can't allow these countries to avert satisfying the minimum democratic standards written in our Constitution. The European Union needs to give back autonomy to member states, of course, but it can't cease on its aim to achieve a democratic society in our region. And I won't be part of that cease try.
Donald Tusk
Deputy Speaker and Councillor for Spain -
The purpose is to give sovreignty to a nation in how they elect a councillour. What difference does it make if the election is popular vote or being elected by democratically elected members. Either way citizens have input in the selection or can punish parties if they put a bad councillour in power.
Skye Hook
Deputy Councillour for United Duchies -
Ammmendment proposal 2:
SECTION I. DEMOCRATIZATION OF THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL
I. All members of the European Council, also known as Councillors, shall be directly and democratically elected or confirmed by an elected body or bodies to achieve office.These shall be held within 4 months of joining.
II. The governments of European Union member states may not appoint or dismiss their Councillor without following an official democratic process outlined in this Act. if they accomplish with the following prerequisite mentioned in this Act.SECTION II. PREREQUISITE TO AVOID COUNCILLOR ELECTION
I. Member states willing to avert councillor elections shall have stayed in the European Union for at least 12 months. -
Councillor, I think you are not understanding the matter correctly, and that's something which also happened to my friend Cllr. Mizrachi-Roscoe to whom I wish a speedy recovery. What you have just proposed in your first amendment is literally a clearance for dictatorships to designate a Councillor without listening to their citizens. The European Union, we as Councillors can't allow dictatorship or undemocratic states to have a go on not listening to the people. What would the European Union be then? Our values, common values are simple: equality, democracy, freedom, solidarity, empathy. We shan't betray those values, and I ask Councillors to vote against Cllr. Hook's amendments.
Furthermore, this does not just betray our values. The second amendment is pointless, and again, gives clearance to undemocratic states to avoid going through this very uncomfortable process for them. While they join and prepare everything, 4 months can easily pass and oh wait, they wouldn't need to hold them. That would be a total disaster for the European Union and giving freedom to those that doesn't. And that is something we, as democrats, can't allow to happen in our region.
Donald Tusk
Deputy Speaker and Councillor for Spain -
With all due respect Cllr.Tusk I think you are misunderstanding the two ammendments together would still require an election or confirmation vote by elected legislators. This way indirect democracy is allowed while stopping pure appointments. The way your ammendment is written we would still be forcing new nations to go EU's way or the high way like Alkharya had to. This could put off european nations from joining as they have to change the way they elect officials. The EU should not be forcing its version of democracy on a nation.
Skye Hook
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Debate is now over. It is time to vote on amendments. Voting on amendments will last until 22:16 GMT on March 11th, 2021.
There are two amendments, both proposed by Deputy Councillor Hook:
Amendment I - Proposed by Deputy Cllr. Hook
SECTION III. COUNCILLOR ELECTION PROCESSES
I. Councillors from new member states may only take their office within the European Council after satisfying a democratic processes in which all following conditions are met:
a) An election by popular vote of the people or by a democratically elected legislature or legislatures has took place.
b) The electorate directly voted for Councillor candidates on their ballot(s);
c) Suffrage was universal and equal to all citizens that were of the legal voting age;
b) The election process was generally seen as free and fair;
c) Candidates for Councillor were able to freely nominate themselves;
d) They successfully received the most votes at the end of the official voting process.
II. New member states shall be responsible for organizing, monitoring and fulfilling their own Councillor elections. New member states shall also be allowed to freely design and implement their own democratic procedures, rules and processes for electing their Councillor as long as all conditions for choosing a successful Councillor in Clause I of this Section are met.
III. Councillor elections must be regular and must occur at least once every four years.
IV. It is encouraged that member states elect their Councillor one month after they elect their national legislatures, or they elect their Councillor during the official European Council Election period.Amendment II - Proposed by Deputy Cllr. Hook
SECTION I. DEMOCRATIZATION OF THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL
I. The governments of European Union member states may not appoint or dismiss their Councillor if they accomplish with the following prerequisite mentioned in this Act.SECTION II. PREREQUISITE TO AVOID COUNCILLOR ELECTION
I. Member states willing to avert councillor elections shall have stayed in the European Union for at least 12 months.
I vote AGAINST both amendments.
Donald Tusk
Deputy Speaker and Councillor for Spain -
On behalf of the Commonwealth of Leagio, I vote AGAINST both amendments.
Francis Plessis
EU Councilor for Leagio -
On behalf of United Duchies I vote for both ammendments
Skye Hook , Deputy Councillour for United Duchies -
The Empire of Inimicus votes FOR both amendments.
Interim Cllr Nicholas Benfield
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On behalf of the Realm of Great Ruthund, I vote FOR both Amendments.
Tony Odhinazen
EU Councilor, Ruthund -
I vote AGAINST both amendments.
Emma Granger
Councillor for Montenbourg -
On behalf of the Republic of Nofoaga, I vote AGAINST both amendments.
Mrs. Paul-Gabrielle Muzhare
EU-Councillor for the Republic of Nofoaga -
Voting on amendments has now concluded.
With 3 votes FOR and 4 votes AGAINST, Amendments I and II have FAILED.
Final voting begins NOW and will last until 22:16 GMT on March 14th, 2021.
On behalf of the Kingdom of Spain, I vote FOR this amendment.
Donald Tusk
Deputy Speaker and Councillor for Spain
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