Hungarian pro-government organisation: EU institutions must retain hierarchy

The pro-government Civil Union Forum (CÖF) and associated foundation CÖKA have called for the “established hierarchy of the European Union’s institutions” to be maintained, with the European Council (EUCO) preeminent.

At the same time, the organisation has proposed setting up a civil body “to assist the European Council”. It also wants EU election rules to be amended.

László Csizmadia, head of the CÖF-CÖKA board, said in a statement on Tuesday that “observing the rules of hierarchy is the foundation on which the EU’s institutions rest.”

He insisted that the European Commission “considers itself an all-European government”, adding that both the EC and the European Parliament would “not be deterred from using dictatorial means” and “demoting the European Council to the second or third rank”.

The European Council composed of the heads of state or government of the EU member states should be the sole authority when it comes to “cardinal issues”, he declared.

Csizmadia said the council at the top of the EU hierarchy “guarantees the rule of law in the EU” and should have the sole power to pass legislation.

Csizmadia said it would be “purposeful” to set up a civil body which could “forward grassroots ideas directly” to the council for its decision-making. National parliaments, he added, should each delegate a non-partisan representative to the new body.

He proposed “re-considering and changing” the rules of the European Parliamentary elections, and insisted changes were required to “eliminate institutional chaos”.

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