On The Abandonment of Legislative Summaries

[Istkalen]

As my term, both as a Councillor and as Council Speaker, comes to an end and I make a decision on whether to stand for reelection to both of these positions, I'd like to clarify the reasoning behind some of the decisions I've made over the course of my tenure.

Perhaps most notable of these was the initial decision to include legislative summaries alongside legislation being debated, eventually abandoned roughly halfway through my term. Given their apparent popularity and utility, many, I'm sure, feel frustrated, annoyed, or even slightly betrayed by my actions; this was, after all, perhaps the foremost of the proposals I promised the Council I would implement at the time of the election.

I would like to have continued to write these summaries. However, I have been thrust increasingly into the turbulent political situation that continues to prevail in my home country; while I have been able to maintain the basic duties I have as Council Speaker, I have had to jettison many of the additional, extralegal responsibilities I initially wanted to take on - the legislative summaries being the foremost of these.

I apologize, deeply, for my inability to fulfill all the promises I made at the time of my election. I remain, however, committed to my position and all the responsibilities it continues to entail, and fully intend to continue to work to maintain the activity and relevance of the European Council for the remainder of my term.

Iras Tilkanas
Council Speaker and Councillor for the Republic of Istkalen