Eu - Treaty of Lisbon: a Masked Constitution Under the Guise of a Treaty

The Treaty of Lisbon - A Masked Constitution Under the Guise of a Treaty

The Treaty of Lisbon, to many citizens of the European Union (EU), appears to be simply a new treaty between Member States (MS) amending all past treaties of the EU. Despite the removal of words such as “constitution”, many academics would confidently say that the Treaty of Lisbon is a constitutional document that has been disguised as a simple treaty. In 2004 both France and the Netherlands rejected the proposed European Constitution through national referendums, consequently the process of implementing a “European Constitution” was halted. Angela Merkel then picked up the process again when she took over the presidency of the EU in 2007. Renamed, renumbered and distorted, she presented the finished result to the to the Portuguese presidency. It appears easy to claim that the Treaty of Lisbon has shifted power closer to the citizens by empowering MS and the European Parliament (EP), and implementing Citizen’s Initiatives. However it is my assertion that the Treaty of Lisbon, although appearing to be aiming towards democratization of the EU and stronger accountability, has actually been signed under extremely non-democratic circumstances, with no involvement or feedback from the citizens of the Union.

Through the examination of the power shift caused by the treaty, as well as the changes in decision-making processes, we will see that although MS appear to gain some power to influence EU legislation, when the checks and balances are truly calculated at the end of the day domestic decision-making autonomy is draining away in the course of supranational processes. Allowing national parliaments to become active players on the EU scene sugarcoats the European integration process itself and convinces the citizens they are being considered and consulted.

From The Rejected Constitution to the Treaty of Lisbon

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