Speech to the Slovenian Presidency
Jens-Peter Bonde’s speech to the Slovenian Presidency on the 26th of March 2008
Mr President,
This is one of my last speeches in the European parliament. I have decided to leave by 9 May and deliver the seat to my successor, minister Hanne Dahl, to bring a change in sex and generation for the Danish June Movement.
I intend to continue my political work as president of the transnational party, the EUDemocrats. I cannot stop my life long battle for transparency, proximity and democracy.
We have reached a lot. The internal telephone book of the Commission is no longer a secret document.
Agendas and minutes of Commission meetings are no longer secrets, in French only. They can now be found at the internet.
The 3000 secret working groups for the Commission can be downloaded from my website, thanks to Commission president Barroso. From next year the names of the advisors can be found at the net, as well.
From next year we will also have a complete list of all recipients of agricultural spending.
The list of victories for transparency is long.
The Council have still not learned. 85 % of all European laws are still decided behind closed doors in 300 secret working groups in the Council.
Elected members of this parliament and the national parliaments can not follow the legislative process in the Council. The few formal deliberations and public votes do not involve the public and the media.
We need urgently a review of our legislative process. No EU law should be passed without a visible voting majority in both this parliament and in the Council.
Citizens shall be able to held law makers accountable. They shall be able to reward us or punish us at the next polling day.
The core in democracy is the ability to go for elections, have a new majority and then a new law. This basic democratic principle unites the 27 democratic EU member states.
Why then forget it when we share our sovereignty?
Why not permit full transparency in the legislative procedure?
Why are you in the Commission and the Council still hiding the major part of the legislative process, even under so-called co-decision where we are not properly informed about your deliberations and the divisions between member states?
I will soon continue our joint fight for transparency from the outside. Dear colleagues, I hope you will continue the battles from the inside of this Parliament.
And clean it for the few fraud makers who destroy the image for all of us. We may agree or disagree politically.
Most members of this parliament are serious and hard working and deserve the respect of the citizens.
Thank you Mr. President
