EP Is a "Grown Up Parliament" Now, Says PN Member Elmar Brok

Kayleigh Rose Lewis, journalist for the Parliament Magazine, has been talking to PN member Elmar Brok MEP who has been a Member of the European Parliament since 1980. Her article has been originally published on TheParliamentMagazine.eu.

Germany deputy Elmar Brok has been an MEP since 1980 or as he puts it with a wry laugh, "A long, long time".

As for how the parliament has changed over that period, Brok told the Parliament Magazine, "We are 28 [member states] and have an equal say in every legislation, also in setting up the commission and the commission president, then we have the last word.

"That is an incredible development. We are now, with this, a grown up parliament."

Speaking at the first plenary session of the new term, his attention turned to what parliament must do in the future.

"We have to consolidate these powers now, show that we can handle the responsibility. That is the important thing.

"We have to communicate in a better way to our citizens that we are the institution, the mediator, between the will of the citizens, and the executive branch," he explained.

He said that there is still much to be done to improve the lives of Europe's citizens, arguing, "I think we have to consolidate the policy, we have to ensure that new member countries can come in a better shape, that they can have equal standards of living, and we have to look more to the cases of youth unemployment and to question the use of structural funding in a better way. [...]

To read the full article on TheParliamentMagazine.eu, please click here.

Photo courtesy of the European Parliament.