Why lisbon treaty is bad

For the Left, there will be no possibility of reshaping the EU, of rebuilding closer ties with citizens, without breaking with the treaties as they stand.

These outdated rules must be overhauled with a new framework put in place that is fit for the 21st century. A democratic disaster With versions of the text having been democratically rejected in referendums in France, the Netherlands and Ireland, the Lisbon Treaty was rammed through, by EU leaders all too eager to ignore widespread concerns among citizens about moving political power further away from them.

Workers betrayed The Lisbon Treaty was bad news for workers. Public services on the chopping block Chipping away at the welfare state in Europe has been a top priority for neoliberals for decades. Another victory for the enemies of common goods. Bombs away! Global justice dumped Neoliberal free trade deals are a fundamental priority for the European Commission. In practice, the European Parliament amplifies the power of national parties in power in the capitals.

It was their collaboration that led to a renegotiation of CETA in to introduce changes to the investment chapter and introduce a half-hearted court system to replace private arbitration. But clearly many member states are to blame. Not all of them. It is Berlin and Paris who are prominently at fault here. Both wanted to keep a tight leash on the Commission and give the last word to their countries.

They did this to appease the left flanks of the parties in power SPD in control of the economics ministry, socialists in control of power in Paris , as part of a general nationalist and protectionist tide in their politics.

The French government went as far as cheating with its legislature this month to get CETA through back home. Just after the vote, the old MPs were reinstated in the Commission.

No wonder, French formerly or still partly state owned companies in the environment, transport and energy sectors are the big winners of CETA. Gabriel, for his part, went as far as to stake his future career on CETA. If he is victorious, Gabriel can be seen as a serious candidate to represent the SPD in the coming general elections in Germany.

What the French and the German social democrats in power have in common is not only divided parties to accommodate, it is also a short term national myopic vision. Were they not capable of seeing what was coming, namely the risk that CETA gets dumped? The Lisbon Treaty added many new policy areas to the list of those on which decisions are made by the co-decision procedure. This is the decision-making process that gives the European Parliament the most influence because it has equal decision making power with the European Council.

European Union citizens will now be able to send suggestions for new policy ideas or changes directly to the European Commission! A minimum of 1 million EU citizens from several EU countries must sign that they agree with the proposal and then the Commission will be forced to take it into consideration! This means that all of the rights included within it can be enforced by the European Union. This means that it changes twice a year.

Before, the meetings of the council were chaired by the head of state of the country that held the presidency. Now they will be chaired by the new president of the Council who will have this position for 2.

The EU hopes that because the person chairing these meetings will no longer be changing every six months, the European Council will have more consistency and be able to get things done more efficiently. This person will also be the Vice-President of the European Commission and is supposed to be the person who represents the EU in international affairs and relations with other countries.

Vaclav Klaus, the former president of the Czech Republic was one of the more famous critics of the Treaty. In Ireland, before the first referendum on the Lisbon Treaty in , there was even a political party called Libertas formed to protest the Lisbon Treaty! Find out more about the European Constitution and the Lisbon Treaty :. Introduction Map of Europe What is Europe? What is the EU? Extension: What is Regional Integration? Why Study the EU?

What is a constitution?