European class in the state parliament: More influence for Lower Austria's MPs!

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Lower Austria's state parliament is planning a European meeting: MPs should inform about EU cooperation in order to strengthen the population.
Lower Austria's state parliament is planning a European meeting: MPs should inform about EU cooperation in order to strengthen the population. (Symbolbild/ANAGAT)

Something is happening in Lower Austria: The Neos and the SPÖ have submitted an application for a "European lesson" in the state parliament. This initiative aims to grant European parliamentary members of the European Parliament. The vote on this application is on the agenda in the upcoming state parliament.

Indra Collini from the Neos and Hannes Weninger from the SPÖ passionately support the idea of ​​using the European lesson as a platform in order to bring the positive results of the cooperation with the EU closer to the population. The two MPs agree that an increased awareness of European issues is necessary, especially in today's world. Collini describes the European lesson as a "democratic progress", while Weninger sees the chance to get controversial topics for discussion.

goal of the initiative

The main goal of the application is to offer the citizens: inside in Lower Austria a better information base about the work of the MEPs. The MPs should report regularly about their activities in and for the federal state. This should not only increase transparency, but also strengthen the connection between the Lower Austrian regions and Brussels.

It is noteworthy that similar regulations already exist in Vienna, Styria and Carinthia. The initiators see the interaction and discussion with EU officials as advantageous for the state government. This is particularly important because Austria has been a member of the EU for 30 years. [meinzirk.at]

The EU in the National Council

The majority of the National Council MPs of ÖVP, SPÖ, Greens and Neos were critical of the positions of the FPÖ. Karoline Edtstadler, the EU and Constitutional Minister, rejected the assumptions of the FPÖ and made the need to cooperate within the EU. The coordination of EU policy, which also affects illegal migration, plays a central role in the current discussion. [parlament.gv.at]

Reinhold Lopatka from the ÖVP emphasized that 70% of exports go to the EU's internal market and that access to the EU has more than profitable through the quadrupling of exports. This shows how important the European Union is for the Austrian economy and prosperity.

Austria's role in the EU

In order to better understand the relationship between Austria and the EU, it is helpful to know that the Council of the European Union, also called the EU Council or Council of Ministers, plays a crucial role. It includes the representatives of the governments of the Member States and makes important decisions that also affect Austria. [Austria.Represation.ec.europa.eu]

The chair of the council changes every six months to the Member States and every decision on a new EU law also includes an Austrian government member. This illustrates the direct influence of Austria on legislation and politics within the EU, which could be of central importance for the upcoming discussions about the European lesson.

It looks like the initiative of the NEOS and SPÖ could not only ensure more transparency, but also be an important component in the debate about Austria's role in the European Union. It remains to be seen how the vote on the European lesson will run in the state parliament and what effects it will have on communication between the citizens: inside and the political actors.

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OrtNiederösterreich, Österreich
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