No. 11

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Much in the European Parliament depends on how active individual members are

  • Tunne Kelam

    Tunne Kelam

    Member of European Parliament 2004–2019

For a newcomer from the Estonian Riigikogu, the working arrangement of the European Parliament, which allows continuous communications with various political groups, is quite striking.

One of the most interesting aspects of the parliament’s work is the fact that it is generally oriented to a constructive approach and consensus-building, and offers members of parliament many opportunities to actualize its role. The European Parliament is highly sensitive to unforeseen events anywhere in the world, especially if democracy and human rights are put in harm’s way. For example, the new members of the European Parliament were able to seize the initiative in the issue of Ukrainian elections, which roused the European Commission and Council of Ministers out of a stupor. Here again, cooperation greatly exceeded the framework of political groups. The results were surprisingly positive. Due in large measure to pressure from the European Parliament, Ukraine refused to recognize the fraudulent election results and conditions were laid for a markedly more democratic and open procedure.

Full article in Estonian

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