EU Parliament looks to overhaul debating process

Lawmakers elected to the European Parliament will be under pressure from next month to get more involved in debates.

European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, who has been pushing for an overhaul of the European Union's plenary sessions for years, says the planned changes will make debates more dynamic and the Parliament chambers in Strasbourg, France less of an empty backdrop for lawmakers' social media posts.

One lawmaker, known as an MEP, told the Euronews website on condition of anonymity: "It is the most expensive backdrop for social media clips in the world."

He said MEPs have got into the habit of turning up for debates at their designated speaking time, talking for a minute, and posting their efforts on social media — with the rehearsed speeches, lack of debate, and empty seats undermining the European Parliament's claim to be the home of Europe's democracy.

Among the chambers in Strasbourg, the massive plenary room is where 720 MEPs gather 12 times a year to debate and vote on EU laws.

The new package of procedural reforms was tested during pilots in June and July and includes better managed agendas for plenary sessions to avoid running deep into the evening, and a commitment not to overstuff agendas with items that detract from the main issues.

A spokesman for Metsola told Euronews: "If a new topic to debate is added to the agenda, another one has to be taken out."

MEPs will also be banned from scheduling political group meetings and other parliamentary activities at the same time as plenary discussions, so they have fewer distractions.

And MEPs will no longer know the exact time they will be allowed to make a speech, which will make it harder for them to parachute in and head back to their offices a few minutes later.

Lawmakers will also get more opportunities to question fellow MEPs after they have made a speech, thanks to the so-called blue-card system, which will give them the opportunity to launch an immediate challenge.

But Benedetta Scuderi, an Italian MEP from the Greens/European Free Alliance political group, said MEPs will likely just hijack the challenge system by using it to lob friendly questions at political allies.

"The idea of making debates more interactive is a positive one," she said. But "the blue-card system is often exploited by like-minded MEPs from different political groups, who ask each other harmless questions, just to gain extra speaking time".

Metsola has said the changes she is introducing should become permanent, but will need to be signed off by all political group leaders before that can happen.

And some lawmakers have criticized the target of increasing attendance at plenary sessions, saying the European Parliament's real business gets done in parliamentary committees and not on the floor of big open meetings. They say forcing MEPs to attend plenary sessions could actually have a negative impact, by taking precious time away from those crucial committees.

earle@mail.chinadailyuk.com