Amendment to the European Council Political Groups Act 2016

Istkalen

SECTION I. DEFINITIONS

For the purposes of this Act, ‘Europarties’ are defined as region-wide alliances of national political parties

SECTION II. POLITICAL GROUPS

European Councillors are hereby allowed to form, disband, join, and leave official Political Groups based on a common ideological affinity.
These Political Groups are funded by the European Council and will operate under the jurisdiction of the Speaker’s Office.
These Political Groups are established to serve as a means by which like-minded Councillors can formulate ideas, and rally support for, or opposition to, proposals.

4. In addition to activity related to the European Council, Political Groups may endorse, and campaign for, current candidates in elections to the European Commission, or in national elections to the European Council.

4. 5. This Act does not impinge upon the right of member-states to appoint or dismiss their Councillor as they see fit; nor their right to direct or act upon their Councillor’s votes, speech, or Political Group membership in the European Council.

SECTION III. MEMBERSHIP OF POLITICAL GROUPS

Membership of Political Groups is restricted to individual European Councillors.
Associate Membership is restricted to ~~European Commissioners, current candidates in elections to the European Commission or in national elections to the European Council~~ interim and deputy councillors serving on a temporary basis due to the incapacitation or absence of a nation's main councillor.
a) ** Individuals and entities not belonging to these categories who are currently associate members of Political Groups are to be immediately expelled.
Associate Members may not vote on the Political Group’s internal decisions.

~~4. No Councillor may be a member of more than one Political Group at a time.~~

~~5. No Commissioner or candidate may be an Associate Member of more than one Political Group at a time.~~

In recent months, I have seen a disturbing tendency towards Eurogroups become, again, the Europarties of the past. We have seen the repeated illegal admission of presidents and parties - including by the very Eurogroup I am a member of - as though these Eurogroups are not actually simply groupings of councillors with similar ideologies and aims but, as I said, parties in their own right. We have seen candidates for the Commission, on the sole basis of their membership in a group, win landslides in multiple member states, despite not having spoken a single time.

In this very Council, we have seen almost constant vitriol and hatred, as though the Eurogroups are in constant battle, from namecalling to vulgar language. We have seen a Eurogroup term itself the official opposition, or something of that sort, a term I hope I never hear mentioned in this context ever again. The Eurogroups are not meant to be in opposition to each other; they are solely meant to organize Councillors to develop legislation as a group, rather than merely as individuals.

What I would like to do is put an end to this constant opposition, this constant anger, what has almost approached a war. End the usage of the Commission campaigns as endless battlegrounds for these faux-parties; leave them what they were but a year ago, cool and tempered and focused on who would be the most competent. End the admission of national groups which have no affiliation or relation to the Council; this is polarizing and nonsensical, and was already illegal anyways. Let Councillors join multiple Eurogroups, if they want, form multiple Eurogroups, maybe single-issue ones, maybe not - an idea I believe the Vardic councillor proposed at some point, although I may be mistaken. We could have Eurogroups uniting geographical interests, economic interests, next to those on ideological lines; and this, I feel, would dampen the constant and sickening partisanship, merely by putting into question the idea that Eurogroups must be in constant opposition.

Iras Tilkanas
Councillor for the Republic of Istkalen

BrumBrum

I can only vote against this act as it is an attack on the very democracy of the EU itself. The Eurogroups or "parties" are places for councillours with common poltical ideas to come together to push for their beliefs and to challenge the groups in power holding the commission to account. You take away the ability to group together on this basis you will end up with a weakened democracy. I don't believe that democracy means we all be nice and sing Kumbaya sometimes a challenge to an idea and group is needed to give the impetus needed for change or to oppose an idea. The price of democracy is that people express their ideas, I know some here might not like opposition politics and dissenting voices as shown by their nations politics but frankly sometimes its needed. Should politics be more civil sometimes, possibly but we cannot force this onto people .

Also allowing people like PM's , party leaders and other key players into the Eurogroups on an associate basis gives the governments and parties a voice at all levels by allowing member parties to directly have a say in policy and give their ideas freely undermining this would only increase resentment of the EU and make it seem more removed and undemocratic.

James Mizrachi-Roscoe , Councillour for United Duchies

Istkalen

Councillor Mizrachi Roscoe, the issue is that this is not in the spirit of what Eurogroups were meant to be. Your final point I will respond to only by saying that it has been illegal since 2016, merely unenforced. Only Commissioners and candidates in Councillor elections have been able to become associate members from the very beginning.

There is also evidently an issue when namecalling and extremely vulgar language - an informal expression comes to mind - enters this most sacred of chambers.

Iras Tilkanas
Councillor for the Republic of Istkalen

Spain

Debate on this shall CONTINUE until 14:24 GMT on January 3rd, 2022.

Donald Tusk
Acting Speaker and Councillor for Spain

Inimicus

The Empire of Inimicus supports the idea of this Act. Inimician Councillors have not been part of Eurogroups or Europarties or whatever the present incarnation may be termed, for over half a decade now. We see no real benefit to Eurogroups, and would rather they were done away with altogether. I nevertheless want to ask Cllr Tilkanas, whose good intentions with this proposal I fully appreciate, what purpose her including prospective Councillors, i.e. those standing in national elections to this Council, in her proposed ban on Associate Membership. If Eurogroups are to survive, should voters not be given transparency on which Eurogroup their candidates would join?

Nicholas Benfield
Empire of Inimicus

Spain

I would like to offer my partial support to Councillor Tilkanas on this amendment, but I need to ask a question to the honourable Istkalenian Councillor whom I wish could also answer Councillor Benield's questions to finally decide what I will do. My question is about the removal of Article IV within Section II, would its removal mean no Eurogroup would be allowed to campaign for a candidate for the European Commission?

To allow Councillor Tilkanas answer Mr. Benfield and my questions, Debate will be extended for 48 hours, until 20:00 GMT on January 5th, 2022.

Donald Tusk
Acting Speaker and Councillor for Spain

Istkalen

The restrictions I proposed are solely meant to reduce the level of politicking that I have seen in recent months, which have been high and have contributed to intense and polarizing discourse. I will consent to an amendment allowing candidates for the position of Councillor to be members of Eurogroups - but not members of the Commission. Allowing members of the Commission to be members of Eurogroups has caused the Council to become background for Commission elections, which have overtaken every other aspect of regional politics and become incredibly toxic. Removing Eurogroups from this context will hopefully reduce this toxicity and also restore the importance of the Council over the Commission.

In this vein, I propose the following amendment. Some

AMENDMENT I

SECTION III. MEMBERSHIP OF POLITICAL GROUPS

Membership of Political Groups is restricted to individual European Councillors.
Associate Membership is restricted to ~~European Commissioners, current candidates in elections to the European Commission or in national elections to the European Council~~ interim and deputy councillors serving on a temporary basis due to the incapacitation or absence of a nation's main councillor, in addition to current candidates in national elections to the European Council.
a) Individuals and entities not belonging to these categories who are currently associate members of Political Groups are to be immediately expelled.

Iras Tilkanas
Councillor for the Republic of Istkalen

Inimicus

The Empire of Inimicus will support this amendment, and with it, the larger Amendment to the Act.

Nicholas Benfield

Spain

Debate is now over. It is time to vote on amendments. There is ONE amendment, which has been proposed by Cllr. Tilkanas. The amendment is thus:

Amendment I - Cllr. Tilkanas

SECTION III. MEMBERSHIP OF POLITICAL GROUPS

Membership of Political Groups is restricted to individual European Councillors.
Associate Membership is restricted to ~~European Commissioners, current candidates in elections to the European Commission or in national elections to the European Council~~ interim and deputy councillors serving on a temporary basis due to the incapacitation or absence of a nation's main councillor, in addition to current candidates in national elections to the European Council.
a) Individuals and entities not belonging to these categories who are currently associate members of Political Groups are to be immediately expelled.

Voting on amendments will commence NOW and will last until 16:12 GMT on January 13th, 2022.

I vote AGAINST the amendment.

Donald Tusk
Acting Speaker and Councillor for Spain

Inimicus

The Empire of Inimicus votes FOR the Amendment.

Nicholas Benfield

BrumBrum

On behalf of United Duchies I vote AGAINST this ammendment
James Mizrachi-Roscoe, Councillour for United Duchies

Istkalen

On behalf of the Republic of Istkalen, I vote FOR this amendment.

I would also like to request a voting extension.

Iras Tilkanas
Councillor for the Republic of Istkalen

GANIA

EUROPE:
On behalf of the Federal Republic of Gania, we communicate our vote that AGAINST

counselor FOR GANIA
Pedro Bordaberry

Spain

Voting on amendments has concluded, after being extended for two extra days. With 2 votes FOR and 3 votes AGAINST, Amendment I has been REJECTED.

Final voting begins NOW and will last until 11:30 GMT on January 18th, 2022.

Donald Tusk
Acting Speaker and Councillor for Spain

Istkalen

On behalf of the Republic of Istkalen, I vote FOR this amendment.

Iras Tilkanas
Council Speaker and Councillor for the Republic of Istkalen

Inimicus

Unfortunately, due to the rejection of Cllr Tilkanas's amendment, the Empire of Inimicus must vote AGAINST this proposal.

Nicholas Benfield
Deputy Speaker and Cllr for Inimicus

Spain

On behalf of the Kingdom of Spain, I vote AGAINST this amendment.

Donald Tusk
Councillor for Spain

Istkalen

Voting has ended. With one vote FOR and two votes AGANST, this amendment has FAILED.

Iras Tilkanas
Council Speaker and Councillor for the Republic of Istkalen