this post was submitted on 27 Nov 2023
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Europe

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[–] [email protected] 22 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (6 children)

That's good. Vetoes were preventing too much things in the past. This should push member states to compromise and find agreements with each other.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 11 months ago (5 children)

While that may be true, I feel like you’re ignoring the fact that a foundational change to the core procedures that the EU operates by could absolutely drive more than a few member states to bail - and I’m not talking about Hungary or Poland.

Whenever you come across a “sword” solution to a Gordian knot of a situation like this, it’s crucial to consider how you’d feel if the shoe was on the other foot. This is, in fact, one of the core points of a democratic, rules-based system of government - the rules must be applied agnostically. If you’re making a rule that only “works” when you/your party are in power, it’s an objectively bad rule, and will be used in ways that you are guaranteed to not like.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 11 months ago (1 children)

i think the last decade of developments in US politics have provided everyone with an example of where that goes, though. not passing the "sword" policy because you fear your opponents using it doesn't actually matter; your opponents, when they come into power, may just immediately enact it themselves. and if they can't, there's a good chance they'll first enact a policy that broadswords aren't swords, technically, probably, maybe, totally, according to this one precedent from the year 1835, and then enact a broadsword policy.

bad-faith actors, authoritarians, fascists, etc., are more than happy to watch everyone else pull their punches based on some assumption they'll do the same. they won't.

that being said, i can't imagine the veto rule ever accomplishing anything good on anyone's side, really. it favors obstructionism by its very nature, which is inherently anti-democratic.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

I get your point, but each EU member state has a democratic solution on its own (yes, with flaws), and EU ain't a country in the first place.

In other words, they didn't assemble to start a new country. They were there to collaborate internationally as sovereign states.

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