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STRASBOURG — Attendance rates at the European Parliament are so low that top MEPs are considering rule changes to strong-arm politicians into showing up.
According to an internal catalog of suggested rule changes seen by POLITICO, the legislature’s president could pull the plug on a debate if there aren’t enough lawmakers present. The magic number would be one-third of all MEPs, a total that will grow to 720 after June’s EU election. That would mean no debate if fewer than 240 MEPs are present in the chamber.
A recent case in point was a Thursday morning debate where Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson discussed an important upcoming World Trade Organization meeting — which could have significant economic ramifications for the EU — in front of an almost empty plenary.
An obscure working group of MEPs and civil servants spent months last year deliberating ways to, er, sex up the Parliament‘s plenary chamber to make it a more attractive environment for MEPs, citizens and journalists.
The new document, which is not yet public, was sent by the heads of the political groups — who approved a sweeping set of institutional reforms in December — to the constitutional affairs committee, where lawmakers decide on the functioning of the institution.
But the rule tweak on attendance requires “further deliberation,” according to a letter seen by POLITICO and sent to constitutional affairs committee boss Salvatore de Meo by Parliament President Roberta Metsola, who instigated the reforms.
According to the planned new rule, 38 MEPs would have to request a check on how many of their colleagues are present. MEPs are still vacillating between making it mandatory or optional for the speaker presiding over the debate to end it if not enough lawmakers are present.
A similar rule already applies to votes.
MEPs aren’t the only ones avoiding the hemicycle. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has established a pattern of making a speech, listening to only the most senior MEPs, and then departing the chamber, leaving another member of her Commission to sit through the rest of the debate.
Camille Gijs contributed reporting.
