By Martin Banks - 14th February 2011
This shows how out of touch with the real world these proposals are
Ashley Fox
New proposals for a shake-up in the system for electing MEPs have been condemned as "completely absurd."
Under the plans, 25 MEPs would be elected on a pan-European list.
They would represent a potentially huge European-wide 'ward' rather than national constituencies as is currently the case.
High-profile politicians and 'celebrities' would be encouraged to stand for election.
There would also be a 'redistribution' of seats and the election would be switched from June to May.
UK ALDE deputy Andrew Duff, who drafted the plans, said the overall aim is to increase voter turnout at the European elections, starting from the next one in 2014.
But he concedes that member states will have a right of veto over his recommendations, expected to go before the constitutional affairs committee on 15 March.
The proposals will have to be approved by member states and are likely to need a treaty change.
Duff said, "All the governments and national parliaments will have a say in the ratification process."
Duff is currently building support for consensus on his proposals and, in the coming weeks, will be speaking to the Italian parliament.
He said Hungary, current holder of the EU presidency, is "enthusiastic" about it as are German MPs.
"In the UK, the House of Lords were also very much interested," he said.
Currently, MEPs are elected from national parties and on their own national system which must involve some kind of proportional representation.
In the UK, this is a list system based on regions while some countries have one national constituency.
The Duff proposals would still see most MEPs elected in this way, but an additional 25 MEPs would be elected on a pan-European list.
Rather than standing on a national political party ticket, these 25 members would stand for lists run by the EPP, S&D, ECR and other groups.
This will result in two kinds of MEPs - those that are representatives of their country and their national party, and those that represent the EU and their pan-EU party.
Duff is also suggesting that one of the latter MEPs could be selected to become commission president.
His plans, however, have been condemned by UK Tory member Ashley Fox, who said, "Duff's proposals are completely absurd.
"At a time of economic austerity the last thing the British taxpayer wants to pay for is an extra 25 MEPs elected across Europe plus the cost of a European electoral authority to oversee the process.
"The British government must veto this proposal. Trying to pretend that the EU is one single constituency is madness, as is talk of a "post national Europe".
"It is clear that Duff and his federalist friends want to abolish the nation state and for the UK to become part of a homogenised Europe, which raises its own taxes and has its own foreign and defence policy.
"This shows how out of touch with the real world these proposals are. I cannot remember a single person on the doorstep who has told me they would ever support such a move.
"MEPs should be sent to Brussels to defend their national interest but clearly Duff thinks they should be there to defend the European interest. Maybe that's why he wants a mechanism that would allow him to stop representing the UK and start representing Brussels."
