Is there a lack of leadership that the European Parliament needs to overcome?
I don’t think there is a lack of leadership. In fact, the Parliament is the only EU institution at present showing leadership. This has been reinforced by the decisions on the Services Directive and the Brok report. It’s because politics abhors a vacuum. The worst lack of leadership is in the Council, while the Commission too has not yet shown the kind of leadership that Europe needs. Even the European Court of Justice appears to be less bold in judgments than was once the case. What is the key to reconciling European citizens to the EU? Better communication is part of it but it’s something that needs to be done at national level. One key is courage of national political elites to explain why the European Union is necessary. Another is shocks and world events that can be used to demonstrate the value of the EU. The Asian tsunami 18 months ago showed the world that the EU is an effective aid provider. Increasingly people are starting to recognise the role of EU in responding to challeng
