Pirates: European Convention must include majority voting in Council

Strasbourg, 14/09/2022 – Today, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, delivered her annual speech on the state of the European Union in Strasbourg. While Pirate Party Members of the European Parliament welcome a European solution on energy security and a united tough stance on Russia, von der Leyen fails to emphasize the importance of majority voting in the Council of the European Union in her call for a European Convention.

MEP Marcel Kolaja, Quaestor of the European Parliament and 1st Vice-President of the Czech Pirate Party, comments:

“I regret that Ursula von der Leyen did not specifically mention the urgency of moving from unanimity to qualified majority voting in the Council of the European Union. Citizens called for this change in the Conference on the Future of the European Union and we are still nowhere. On the other hand, the Commission, as a reaction to the European Parliament’s call, expressed their support for the Convention on Treaty changes. The Council must listen to those calls and act now.“

MEP Markéta Gregorova, foreign policy expert of the Czech Pirate Party comments on the enlargement process of the European Union:

“Ursula von der Leyen raised hopes when she declared that the Western Balkan countries, Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia will become part of the European Union. However, she added that she supports the French idea of European Political Community (EPC). This plan is nothing other than preventing other countries from joining the EU. For me, it is a huge disappointment that the European Commission wants to go in this direction and I hope that the enlargement process will be reconsidered in the future. Only together we are stronger.”

MEP Mikuláš Peksa, Chairperson of the European Pirate Party, comment on sanctions on Russia:

“Putin is hurt by our actions. That’s also why the Kremlin has announced that it will not launch the Nord Stream 1 pipeline as long as sanctions are in place, showing its desperation. We must not back down and we must respond to the current emergency with extraordinary means. That’s why I support the European Commission’s proposal, which will give Member States considerable resources to finance their measures to reduce energy prices. This proposal will also create a common framework for national action in other areas such as lower electricity consumption, which we must tackle this winter. We are all aware of the need for urgent action, which is why I hope the Commission’s proposal finds sufficient support among Member States.”