Third direct elections to the European Parliament - Germany / Federal Republic of Germany 1989 - 100 Pfennig

The third direct elections to the European Parliament On 18 June 1989, a direct election to the European Parliament takes place in the Federal Republic of Germany for the third time. According to the founding Treaties of the European Community - European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), European Economic Community (EEC) and European Atomic Energy Community (EAEC) - the European Parliament (EP) represents the peoples of the Member States and sees itself as the democratic organ of control of the European Union Community. It is the mouthpiece of the 324 million citizens of the EC. Over national egoisms and party trusts, it attempts to sift, bundle and channel the diversity of interests from 12 countries and almost 80 parties into viable majorities. In this way, the electoral mandate of participating in shaping the European Community according to the wishes and desires of its citizens and creating more democracy in this community will be fulfilled. The first parliament of the European Community was constituted in September 1952 as the Common Assembly of the ECSC. Since 1958, with the entry into force of the EEC and EAEC Treaties, Parliament has been responsible for all three communities: at that time it was known as the European Parliament. Already in the ECSC Treaty (1951) the direct election of Parliament was envisaged, also in the following treaties on the EEC and EAEC (1957). But it was only on 20 September 1976 that the Council of Ministers adopted the act on the election of direct universal suffrage to the European Parliament. From 7 to 10 June 1979, citizens in nine Member States first elected 410 MEPs directly to the European Parliament for a five-year term. Following its accession to the European Community on 1 January 1981, Greece sent another 24 Members; On 18 October 1981, the Greek Members of the European Parliament were also directly elected. The second direct election took place from 14 to 17 June 1984 in ten Member States. In the new Member States, Spain and Portugal, which joined the EC in 1986, MEPs were directly elected in June and July 1987 respectively. Of the now 518 seats, the Federal Republic of Germany covers 81. Three of these deputies are elected by the Berlin House of Representatives, the other 78 by the citizens directly according to state or federal lists. MEPs do not take their seats in Parliament as members of national delegations, but according to their political convictions as members of transnational political groups. These are the centers of political decision-making. Because of their transnational composition, they must and can overcome the national points of view and conflicts of interest through community solutions. In the Community's decision-making process, Parliament has the following tasks: - Through its opinions, Parliament participates in Community legislation (consultative legislative powers). Since the entry into force of the Single European Act (EEA) on 1 January 1987, it has been deliberating and deciding on the bills covered by the Act in two readings (co-operation procedure). Its amendments adopted by an absolute majority can only be rejected or amended unanimously by the EC Council of Ministers. - Parliament and Council together make up the budgetary authority and together draw up the budget of the Community (budgetary powers). - By means of written and oral questions to the EC Commission and the Council and the annual discussion of the activity balances and programs of the Council, Commission and European Political Cooperation in plenary, Parliament exercises political control over all stages of the decision-making process and its implementation (general control powers). - Accession and association and cooperation agreements with other states must be approved by the European Parliament. The two direct elections of 1979 and 1984 undoubtedly strengthened the position of the European Parliament, even though they do not yet enjoy all the rights that national parliaments have. A lively participation in the direct election of 18 June 1989 supports the European Parliament's fight for further powers. (Text: Gerhard Moritz, Information Office of the European Parliament, Bonn)