The closing ceremony of the #CoFoE conference recommending 🇪🇺 treaty change has started with an interpretive dance recital and I’m really confused. audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/ebs/live/2
Now Guy Verhofstadt is speaking in French and I’m really confused!
Never seen him speak in anything other than English in this hemicycle.
Now he’s speaking English.
“In contrast to what we may think, people don’t fear change,” Verhofstadt tells national EU governments. “On the contrary, they urge us to reform the 🇪🇺union, and they want this to happen now.”
“In 2019 when the idea was floated for this conference, the world was a very different place than the world we are in today” says Verhofstadt to the national leaders.
“Since 2019 we have had a pandemic…and now 77 years after WW2 we have again a devastating war on European soil”
“Whatever the result of 🇺🇦war, the world of tomorrow will be a different place,” says Verhofstadt. “It will be a world dominated by empires: 🇨🇳🇷🇺🇮🇳🇺🇸.”
“In such a world order, only Europe as a bloc can survive. Only united can we protect the interests of our citizens”
“European integration is no longer a choice, it’s become a question of necessity, a question of survival” says Verhofstadt
“These recommendations from citizens offers a roadmap to that, to avoid that we become irrelevant or even disappear. A Europe that is sovereign is possible”
“There is no time to waste, let’s be loyal to the outcome of this conference,” Verhofstadt says, looking at #Macron.
“Let’s implement its conclusions as soon as possible, because it’s the will of the people. Let the will of the people prevail.”
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So why are the Nordic & Eastern EU countries opposed to treaty change and the Western & Southern countries are (increasingly) for it? Size matters.
Smaller countries don't want to lose their ability to veto EU laws (like we're seeing now with Hungary vetoing the 🇷🇺oil embargo).
So the battle lines are being drawn. Why did this all come to a head today? It started in 2017, when Macron had the idea for a citizen's convention to recommend reforms for the EU.
EU national governments are still traumatized by the constitution-turned-Lisbon-Treaty experience of 2000s. They're scared of opening the pandora's box of treaty change again.
But this change is a normal part of the EU's development. This is the longest EU has gone without it.
#Macron has taken the floor after receiving the recommendations of the citizens’ #CoFoE conference, including a call for treaty change.
He says Europe must unite, including in defence, in order to protect member countries from the Russian threat.
Macron says the conference’s proposals will be evaluated in September and then acted upon [possibly with a convention drawing up treaty change, for instance].
He says the conference will not be just a talking shop. He promises EU reform.
And here it is, the big announcement:
#Macron says, in English, 🇪🇺 must do “whatever it takes” (quoting 🇮🇹PM #Draghi) to become sovereign & efficient.
That will mean reforming treaties, and he will discuss this with other leaders at the June #EUCO summit.
EU national governments ask citizens to recommend reforms for 🇪🇺. Then, when they don't like what's been recommended (treaty change), 10 of them write a letter scolding the citizens: 🇩🇰🇸🇪🇫🇮🇪🇪🇱🇻🇱🇹🇸🇮🇧🇬🇨🇿🇲🇹politico.eu/newsletter/bru…
But not every country agrees with these 10 reactionaries that 🇪🇺 works perfectly fine.
🇮🇹PM Draghi endorsed treaty change earlier this month.
This #CoFoE didn't end up being the bold exercise Macron originally envisioned. The power-preserving instincts of national capitals kicked in (as I wrote here in 2020).
Speaking after the emergency meeting of EU energy ministers in Brussels, French minister Barbara Pompili says ministers agreed that the conditions of their contracts should be respected.
She says the Commission provided guidance on legality of paying in rubles.
Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson says she explained to ministers that payment in rubles constitute a clear violation of sanctions against Russia, "and cannot be accepted".
"Countries should not have any illusions they can rely on the good faith of Gazprom in this matter"
🇪🇺Commissioner Simson disputes the Bloomberg story that a number of European countries are already paying for #RussianGas in rubles.
She says she’s not aware of any EU country that is doing so or has announced their intention to do so.
Waiting for the 🇪🇺 energy ministers to arrive for the emergency summit to agree an oil embargo against #Russia and a united stance on #Putin’s demand to pay for gas in #rubles.
The decisions taken today will have ripple effects throughout the global economy.
@BarbaraPompili,🇫🇷French Minister for Ecological Transition who convened this emergency meeting of energy ministers, stresses upon entering that the purpose of today's summit is to respond to Russia shutting off the gas taps to #Poland & #Bulgaria, not to discuss the #OilEmbargo.
"Today's council is exclusively on the question of gas and not on the question of oil," Pompili tells a reporter who asks about the embargo.
"We have other discussions that are ongoing, but we must stay focused today on the issue of gas."
🇪🇺energy ministers holding an emergency meeting today to discuss how to respond to Russia shutting off the gas taps to #Poland & #Bulgaria - and clarify whether paying for gas in rubles would violate the EU's #RussiaSanctions.
They'll also try to find agreement on a #OilEmbargo.
What we know for sure is any 🇪🇺 embargo on #RussianOil won't begin immediately. It would probably be phased out by end of the year.
In order to avoid an #Orban veto, #Hungary may have to be granted exemptions. #Italy & #Greece also need more convincing. But #Germany is on board.
Today's emergency meeting starts 3pm. If 🇪🇺 agrees oil embargo it will send shock waves through the world economy, analysts predicting it will lead to even higher inflation. There are fears of resulting social unrest.